Relief for Kenyan Family as Hospitalised Daughter in Saudi Arabia Makes Contact

A Kenyan woman who had been out of contact following surgery in Saudi Arabia has reconnected with her family, confirming she is recovering in hospital.

Zipporah Mumbi, 28, had travelled to Saudi Arabia in search of employment and had been in regular contact with her family until communication suddenly stopped two weeks ago. Relatives later learned she had been hospitalised but received no further information, prompting growing concern.

Repeated efforts to reach her employer and the recruitment agency that arranged her travel were unsuccessful. Her brother, Javan Karanja, described the uncertainty as deeply distressing, saying, “We don’t know if she’s alive, if she’s okay. Every day without news is torture.”

This morning, Mumbi contacted her family directly, explaining that she had been in intensive care and unable to access her phone. She thanked those who had supported her during her recovery, saying, “Asante sana. You're great people.”

Meanwhile, concerns persist over limited oversight of recruitment agencies and the lack of consistent communication between employers and workers’ families.
Mumbi’s situation follows other unresolved cases, including that of Esther Mariah Njeri, who travelled to Saudi Arabia in 2006.

Her family last heard from her in 2012, and efforts to trace her whereabouts have so far been unsuccessful.