Prime Cabinet Secretary Musalia Mudavadi has defended Kenya’s labor migration program to Saudi Arabia following a damning exposé by The New York Times that detailed widespread abuse of Kenyan migrant workers. Appearing before the National Assembly, Mudavadi rejected claims that the government had enabled or turned a blind eye to exploitation, describing the accusations as “misleading, careless and sensational.”
“The administration of President William Ruto has taken bold, deliberate and forward-looking steps to safeguard our people abroad,” he said.
Mudavadi argued that Kenya has invested heavily in ensuring safe migration channels, adding, “We have built clear, structured pathways that ensure Kenyans can pursue safe and dignified employment opportunities overseas, while confidently investing their hard-earned remittances back home.”
The New York Times investigation accused senior Kenyan politicians, among them members of President Ruto’s family, of benefiting from recruitment agencies that export domestic workers to the Middle East. The report also highlighted distressing accounts of Kenyan women who suffered physical assault, sexual violence, unpaid wages, and forced confinement in Saudi households, with some cases ending tragically.
Seeking to counter those claims, Mudavadi outlined the reforms the Kenya Kwanza administration has implemented since 2022, including the deregistration of more than 600 recruitment agencies linked to malpractice.
“It is misleading and sensational for any media outlet to insinuate that the Government has participated in or tolerated slavery or exploitation,” he said.
Mudavadi noted that only vetted agencies are now permitted to operate and that all must provide mandatory insurance coverage to migrant workers at no cost to them.
“This ensures Kenyans can pursue safe and dignified employment opportunities overseas, while confidently investing their hard-earned remittances back home,” he added.
Human rights groups acknowledge the reforms but warn that loopholes still exist, particularly around enforcement.
Mudavadi also pointed to rising diaspora remittances, which grew from Sh490 billion in 2022 to Sh650 billion in 2024 before surpassing the Sh1 trillion mark in November. He attributed this growth to institutional reforms, including the establishment of the State Department for Diaspora Affairs in 2023.
The department, he said, has strengthened welfare systems and expanded “clear, structured pathways” for overseas employment, with the government targeting Sh1 trillion annually by 2027.
He further revealed that Kenya is finalizing a new labor agreement with Saudi Arabia covering skilled and semi-skilled workers, promising better wages, stronger protections, and clearer procedures for reporting workplace abuses.
The post ‘Misleading and Sensational’: Mudavadi Defends Kenya–Saudi Labor Migration After NYT Abuse Exposé appeared first on Bossnana.
