Kenyan Domestic Worker Stranded in Oman As Employer Withholds Passport

A Kenyan woman working as a domestic worker in Oman remains stranded, unable to return home due to withheld documents and financial constraints.

Rodah, a young woman from Kitale in Trans Nzoia County, travelled to Oman earlier this year in search of employment, joining thousands of Kenyans working as domestic staff in the Gulf region. She says that her six months of work have been marked by excessive workloads, harassment, and restricted freedom, leaving her unable to secure her return ticket.

Employed in a large household, Rodah described her daily tasks as extending far beyond what she had been promised. “The married woman used to bring her clothes, her husband’s clothes and even the baby’s clothes. I had no choice but to push myself every day,” she said. 

She had expected to use her earnings to purchase a return ticket after six months, but her employers did not fulfil this promise. Rodah says the situation worsened when a young male member of the household made unwanted advances. Afraid of retaliation, she chose not to report the incident. Her efforts to arrange travel back to Kenya were also obstructed. 

On 15 December, she requested to return home, but was told her employers could not provide the funds. The recruitment agency instructed her to send money to facilitate travel documents, after which her passport was still withheld.

In a further attempt to secure her departure, Rodah fell victim to an online scam, losing KSh 20,000 to a person who promised to arrange her travel but disappeared after receiving the funds. The kafala system, which ties workers to their sponsors, often prevents them from leaving abusive workplaces without employer consent.