Kenyan Driver Attacked in Dubai Pleads for Assistance to Return Home

A Kenyan taxi driver in Dubai is appealing for government help after a violent assault left him injured and unable to retrieve his passport to return home.

Brian Kiplimo, 26, travelled to Dubai in August after securing work through a local recruitment agency and was employed by KABI Taxi Company. The job provided steady income, but on 8 November a routine trip turned violent when a passenger attacked him mid-journey. 

Kiplimo says the man moved to the front seat before grabbing him by the neck and attempting to strangle him, causing the car to swerve off the road and hit a pavement. He escaped after repeatedly sounding the horn, which alerted a motorcyclist who called police and medics.

He was admitted to Rashid Hospital with a swollen neck and a weakened voice. Kiplimo says he struggled to access treatment, including being asked to pay for a medical report he could not afford. Police requested dashcam footage of the incident, but he had no way to provide it until his family sent money for a flash drive.

Kiplimo says his employer declined to accompany him to the authorities and instead gave him a letter in Arabic and access to a counsellor when he had requested medical care. His condition worsened, and despite several appeals, he says he was denied proper treatment. 

When he sought help from the Kenyan Consulate on 15 November, embassy officials urged the company to assist, but he says no follow-through came. The situation escalated when KABI Taxi Company accused him of abandoning his job. 

Kiplimo maintains he was too ill to work and was struggling to breathe and speak. He was later warned he could be classified as a “runaway employee,” a designation in the United Arab Emirates that can lead to arrest. His request for the return of his passport was met with a demand for payment, leaving him unable to leave the country.

Confined indoors, he says he continues to recover from his injuries while fearing further repercussions. He told the Nation that he wants to return to Kenya and pursue the matter from home.