Nairobi, Kenya

A Kenyan woman, Christabel Atieno, returned to an emotional family reception at Jomo Kenyatta International Airport on Tuesday, November 18, 2025, after a harrowing six-month detention in Saudi Arabia where she reportedly faced a death sentence. According to media personality Nelson Mithamo Muriuki of VOO TV, Atieno was released after being acquitted of charges of killing her employer's child due to a lack of evidence. These specific details, including the formal charges and the death sentence, remain unconfirmed by Kenyan or Saudi authorities, and further investigation is required.

Atieno was incarcerated at the Al-Malaz prison in Riyadh, a facility that has been cited in human rights reports for overcrowding and poor conditions. Reports from VOO TV, the primary source of information on her case, also allege that Atieno was subjected to severe physical abuse that resulted in a fractured arm and leg. These claims could not be independently verified by Streamline News. Her mother, Eunice Achieng, and other family members welcomed her at the airport in a reunion marked by joy and relief.

A System Under Scrutiny

Ms. Atieno's case, though lacking official government commentary, casts a harsh light on the systemic risks and abuses confronting thousands of Kenyans seeking employment in the Gulf. Her ordeal is emblematic of a crisis that the Kenyan government has acknowledged and is actively seeking to address. According to a May 2025 report by Amnesty International, Kenyan domestic workers in Saudi Arabia face extreme exploitation, with conditions often amounting to forced labour and modern slavery. The report detailed patterns of deception by recruitment agents, inhumane working hours, and physical and sexual abuse.

The Kenyan government has been under increasing pressure to act. Statistics from the Ministry of Foreign Affairs are stark. Between 2019 and 2021, at least 93 Kenyan workers died in the Middle East, with a majority of those deaths occurring in Saudi Arabia. More recent data presented in Parliament revealed that 185 Kenyans died in Saudi Arabia between January 2020 and November 2022. Prime Cabinet Secretary Musalia Mudavadi stated in October 2024 that a total of 166 Kenyan deaths had been recorded in the Kingdom since 2002.

Government Response and Bilateral Agreements

In response to the escalating crisis, Nairobi has initiated reviews of its labour agreements with Riyadh. The existing bilateral labour agreement, signed in 2017, has been criticized for its weak enforcement mechanisms. In August 2025, Labour Principal Secretary Shadrack Mwadime confirmed that diplomatic talks were underway to enhance protections and ensure Kenyan workers are treated with dignity. The government has also taken some measures to vet recruitment agencies, which are often implicated in the exploitation of workers.

However, the scale of the problem is immense. There are an estimated 200,000 Kenyans living and working in Saudi Arabia, with over 150,000 employed as domestic workers. Many workers are not registered with Kenyan missions abroad, making it difficult for the government to maintain accurate data and provide timely assistance. The plight of these workers is a recurring issue, with numerous distress calls and documented cases of abuse, unpaid wages, and restrictions on movement. The return of Christabel Atieno serves as a potent, personal story within this broader, troubling context, underscoring the urgency for reinforced legal and diplomatic safeguards for Kenyans venturing abroad for work.