Kenyan Woman Recounts Years of Isolation After Returning From Gulf Job

A Kenyan woman has returned home after spending several years working in Saudi Arabia, where her family says she was paid for only two months and was unable to maintain regular contact with relatives.

Juliet Amina Juma, who travelled to Saudi Arabia in 2019 to seek employment and support her children, arrived back in Kenya on 28 May 2026. According to her family, she accepted the job after being promised stable employment and regular wages. They say those promises were not fulfilled, as she received pay for only two months during her time abroad.

Family members said communication with Juliet became difficult shortly after she left Kenya. For years, they struggled to establish her whereabouts and remained concerned about her welfare. Juliet later told relatives that she had limited opportunities to contact her family, leaving her isolated from those at home.

Rights organisations have frequently reported cases involving unpaid wages, poor living conditions and restrictions on workers’ freedom of movement. Domestic workers are often employed in arrangements that lack sufficient oversight, increasing their vulnerability to exploitation.

Labour migration remains an important source of income for many Kenyan families, with thousands of citizens travelling abroad each year to take up domestic and other low-skilled jobs. Money sent home by these workers contributes significantly to household incomes across the country.

However, labour rights advocates continue to raise concerns about weaknesses in recruitment processes, inadequate regulation and limited enforcement of worker protections. They argue that these gaps leave some workers exposed to abuse despite existing safeguards.

Kenyan authorities have repeatedly advised job seekers to use licensed recruitment agencies and ensure employment contracts are verified before leaving the country. Nevertheless, reports of workers facing difficulties abroad continue to emerge.