MP Calls for Urgent Repatriation of Ailing Kenyan Worker in Saudi Arabia

A Kenyan Member of Parliament has called for urgent government action to repatriate Frenda Chelangat, a domestic worker in Saudi Arabia, who is reportedly seriously ill and unable to return home due to withheld documents and unpaid wages.

Kesses MP Julius Rutto has written to the Principal Secretary for Diaspora Affairs, Roseline Njogu, requesting immediate support for Chelangat’s return to Kenya. In a letter dated 13 October, Rutto said that Chelangat’s health has deteriorated significantly and that she is no longer able to work. 

He added that her recruitment agency has confiscated her travel documents and failed to pay her wages, leaving her stranded and without means to seek help. The MP is urging the government to cover the cost of her flight to Nairobi, provide temporary accommodation, and ensure she receives urgent medical treatment. 

He noted that Chelangat was the sole provider for her family and is now facing severe physical and psychological distress. The case came to Rutto’s attention after Chelangat’s mother approached him during a public event, sharing photographs that appear to show Chelangat tied at the wrists and ankles. 

Rutto has also arranged a follow-up meeting with Foreign Affairs Principal Secretary Korir Sing’oei to discuss coordinated efforts to bring Chelangat home.

Chelangat’s situation highlights ongoing concerns about the safety of Kenyan migrant workers in the Gulf region. 

A May report by Amnesty International documented widespread abuse faced by Kenyan women working in Saudi households. The report, based on interviews with 72 returnees, included allegations of physical violence, verbal abuse, sexual assault and working conditions described as forced labour or human trafficking.

There are an estimated 200,000 Kenyans employed in Saudi Arabia, many of them under the kafala system, a sponsorship arrangement that rights groups say enables exploitation. Civil society organisations and human rights advocates have repeatedly urged the Kenyan government to strengthen protections for its citizens working abroad, particularly in domestic roles.