Labour CS Simon Chelugui has defended employment agencies over the rising cases of deaths among Kenyans in the Middle East.
The CS instead pointed an accusing finger to illiteracy and failure to observe the law among those seeking employment in the region.
As per records from the ministry, 97 Kenyans mainly women, had died in unclear circumstances in one of the countries from Middle East.
In the last couple of years, tens of Kenyans who had gone to seek greener pastures in the Middle East have been flown back in coffins while others have returned with harrowing stories of torture.
But according to Chelugui, the ministry was keen to resolve the incidents by making sure that those who flew out register with the relevant embassies.
The CS noted that many of the jobseekers had not registered with the Kenyan embassies making it near impossible to track them in case of a crisis.
“We have lost 97 Kenyans in one of the Middle East countries due to various reasons and we are keen to address these cases,” he said over the weekend.
Addressing the press after meeting the ministry’s officials in Naivasha, Chelugui pointed an accusing finger at those Kenyans who were failing to abide by the law and their contracts.
“Those who fly out should abide by the laws of the particular countries and make sure they understand the terms and conditions of their contracts,” he said.
He defended recruitment agents in the country noting that currently, there were 420 and all of them had been vetted before getting their licenses.
Chelugui admitted that unemployment was pushing young illiterate women to the foreign countries but was quick to note that they should not submit themselves to torture.
“Many of the young women are illiterate and some people are taking advantage of this, but I shall accompany various state officers for a fact-finding mission in Saudi Arabia,” he said.
The CS at the same time announced the ministry was working on child care reforms in the wake of Covid-19 pandemic where hundreds of minors had been abused.
Chelugui said some of the reforms included moving away from children’s homes to foster homes while addressing the rising cases of violence against women.
“The latest report by DCI indicate that we have lost 497 people to suicide since last year with the youngest being nine-years-old and its time we protect these minors,” he said.
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