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Mudavadi: Over 3,400 Kenyans in distress reported in Middle East since 2023
19th November, 2025 09:31 PM
Cabinet Secretary for Foreign Affairs Musalia Mudavadi has revealed that more than 3,400 Kenyans working in the Middle East have reported distress since 2023, prompting enhanced government protection measures.
Appearing before the National Assembly on Wednesday, November 19, 2025, Mudavadi said the rising number of Kenyans in Saudi Arabia, now estimated at 350,000, has increased pressure on Kenya’s missions, forcing the government to expand staffing, strengthen protections, and open new consular offices to adequately respond to emergencies involving Kenyan workers abroad.
“The number of Kenyans living and working in the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia has increased exponentially, now estimated at 350,000,” he told the Members of Parliament (MPs).
Mudavadi noted that the ministry has handled 3,452 distress cases involving Kenyan workers in the Middle East since 2023.
This comes despite the government assuring that it will intervene in the plight of Kenyans working in Gulf countries such as Saudi Arabia through diplomatic means.
Moreover, there are claims of the arrest of Kenyans who have exposed the workers’ abuse in the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia.
On his part, Mudavadi said to boost response capability, he said Kenya recently opened a consulate in Jeddah to support the Embassy in Riyadh.
“We will also be seeking more budgetary support to expand the capacity of our mission to serve Kenyans better. The government will be seeking funding for the establishment of a safe house for Kenyans in distress,” he said.
Minimum wage
As the Kenyan workers in Saudi Arabia are poised for a salary increase from February 2026, there are growing concerns over the recruitment processes and the wage structures governing people working in the Gulf.
But Mudavadi has brushed off the claims that senior State officials or their relatives hold vested interests in the recruitment firms sending Kenyans to Saudi Arabia.
“Kenyans migrating abroad must have travel insurance cover. No single insurance company has a monopoly on covering Kenyans seeking jobs in the Gulf. Individuals and Kenyan private recruitment agencies are at liberty to choose their preferred insurance company,” he said.
He told MPs that negotiations with Saudi Arabia are ongoing to develop a more comprehensive bilateral labour framework covering both skilled and semi-skilled workers.
“Just this week, we have received official communication on enhanced wage agreements for Kenyans employed in the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia,” he said.
Mudavadi explained that the current minimum pay structure for domestic workers was set during a February 2019 deliberation between Saudi manpower firms and Kenyan recruitment agencies, where they agreed on a baseline salary of Ksh29,300.
He added that Saudi Arabia has since rolled out reforms to strengthen worker protections.
“From October 1, 2025, Saudi Arabia officially launched Phase 3 of its Wage Protection System (WPS) for domestic workers. Under this phase, all employers who hire two or more domestic workers are now required to transfer salaries through official digital channels via MUSANED,” he said.
He noted that by January 2026, the digital payment system will apply to all domestic workers in the kingdom. Mudavadi described WPS as a “landmark reform” that enhances safeguards, encourages fair treatment and builds trust between workers, employers and recruitment agents.
