Kenya’s drive for its citizens to find work in Gulf states risks forcing them into a modern slavery system in which physical abuse is common, warn rights groups. East Africa’s largest economy plans to sign 10 bilateral labor agreements in the next “couple of months” with countries interested in hiring Kenyan workers, President William Ruto said this month. He named Saudi Arabia, United Arab Emirates, the United States, and Canada as countries with which deals could be struck to create job opportunities overseas and boost remittances. But campaigners say this push risks the safety of those hired as domestic workers, such as housekeepers and cleaners, in Gulf nations where there have been numerous reports of Kenyans being injured or even killed by physically abusive employers.
SOURCE: SEMAFOR