Senator Onyonka seeks a statement on Kenyans who have died in foreign countries

 

Kisii Senator Richard Onyonka at a past political rally.  [File, Standard]

Kisii Senator Richard Onyonka has sought a statement from the Senate Committee of National Security, Defence and Foreign Relations on the issues of missing and dying Kenyans in countries such as Saudi Arabia, Lebanon and Qatar.

Onyonka who was speaking before the Senate plenary said there has been an alarming increase in reported cases of Kenyan citizens disappearing under mysterious circumstances in these countries mentioned after leaving our country for job opportunities abroad, especially in the Gulf region.

The Kisii Senator said that this has caused immense anguish for their families who are left in the dark about the fate and whereabouts of their loved ones pointing out a case of lady from Kisii County, known as Edi Mosomi Nyasing’a who died four weeks ago and her body cannot be found where she was in Lebanon.

“I would like the Senate Committee on National Security, Defence and Foreign Relations to Provide details of all reported cases of missing Kenyans who have either gotten killed in Saudi Arabia, Qatar and Lebanon and any other countries within the Arab region, so that we can know who amongst these Kenyans is still alive and who has not been found,” said Onyonka.

 He sought to have the committee table relevant bilateral labour agreements and arrangements that Kenya as a country and the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and the Presidency have signed particularly with these Gulf countries, so that it can be known whether these agreements have been safeguarding the rights of our people and whether these agreements are enforceable.

The Kisii Senator sought to have the committee State the protocols in place in all our Kenyan embassies and consultancies to address the complaints, the challenges and the distress calls and reports of abuse from these Kenyans who are working in these foreign countries.

“The State should explain whether there are any long-term strategies being implemented to regulate and monitor the recruitment agencies who are recruiting our people without any safeguards, so that we can prevent exploitation,” said Onyonka.

The Kisii Senator said that we must ensure that accountability for the safety of our people as citizens who are working in all these countries is managed and our people are safe as they seek for greener pastures, since we are unable to employ them.

 Senate Majority Leader Aaron Cheruiyot said that citizens should familiarize themselves and know the rules of engagement in the countries that they have gone to seek employment, what their rights are and what they are not permitted to do and that it will also be important for the Government to how many Kenyans have left the country.

“We only get to know about those whose families report that their sons or daughters have either been harmed or have lost their lives, Probably, there might be others who disappear never to return to this country, it is the intention of how good countries take care of their citizens when they go to work out of station,” said Cheruiyot.

 The Kericho Senator said that in a country like Kenya, where the leading foreign exchange used to be tea and coffee back in the past however in the last 10 years, the foreign remittance by citizens who are working out of this country, is a leading foreign exchange earner this means that the heroes of this Republic are those who choose to work in other countries and send their earnings back home.

Cheruiyot said there was need for the Cabinet Secretary for Labour and Social Welfare Alfred Mutua to be invited so that we can see the steps that have been taken towards ensuring the safety and comfort of citizens who work in different capitals and various parts of this world

Nandi Senator Samson Cherarkey told the house that the Senate Committee on Labour and Social Welfare looked at recruitment agencies that take Kenyans abroad telling Kenyans that there is a State Department for Diaspora Affairs urging them to use Government agencies to look jobs abroad, including in Saudi Arabia, USA and Germany.

“We are getting close to Sh 1 trillion from foreign exchange in this country, the issue of using bogus and fake recruitment agencies to go abroad will not solve problems that Senator Onyonka talked about, the President challenged the National Employment Authority to ensure they give us updated recruitment agencies that are lawfully being run in the entire Republic of Kenya,” said Cherarkey.

 Siaya Senator Oburu Oginga said the issue of Kenyans disappearing in foreign lands is caused by various factors starting from home through some of the recruiting agents and that he did not know whether due diligence is done on them, how they are selected, or it is the regulations that are there.

Oginga said the Standing Committee on Labour and Social Protection needs to investigate thoroughly and find out if the laws regulating some of these agencies are weak, if so they should be strengthening them and it is the enforcement that is bringing problems they should look for ways of strengthening the enforcement and also follow up with the Government agencies.

“We are aware that internationally there are companies and people who are taking people to the slaughter for the harvest of human organs this happens, how can it be that somebody has disappeared without being located in a foreign land yet we have embassies with all the people and some are in charge of intelligence and labour,” said Oginga.