Parliamentarians have revealed alarming mistreatment of Kenyan workers in the United Arab Emirates, highlighting how fraudulent recruitment agencies and weak support systems leave thousands vulnerable in low-paying informal jobs.
A recent report by the National Assembly’s Departmental Committee on Defence, Intelligence and Foreign Relations shows that many workers are stranded abroad with little assistance, while women and young people face the highest risks.
The committee, led by Belgut MP Nelson Koech, carried out a fact-finding mission in Abu Dhabi and collected testimonies from Kenyan migrants who said they were deceived by agents promising legitimate employment.
The report warns that the situation is compounded by limited embassy support and the absence of safe shelters, forcing many workers into precarious living conditions.
According to the findings, the labour migration process has become a minefield of fraud and neglect. Kenyans seeking jobs abroad are lured by attractive promises, only to find themselves trapped in exploitative roles and abandoned when challenges arise.
The problem is not new, as Kenya has previously recorded cases of citizens being mistreated or dying while working in Saudi Arabia and other Middle Eastern countries. However, the report stresses that the current conditions in the UAE reflect a systemic failure to protect its citizens.
At the core of the crisis, the committee found, are unscrupulous recruitment agents who operate freely. Many young and unemployed Kenyans are persuaded to pay for jobs that do not exist, often receiving forged visas and work permits. Workers typically arrive in the UAE on visitor visas, only to discover there is no employment waiting for them.
“Upon arrival and with no job, they resort to very low-paying jobs. They end up on the streets or join homes of other Kenyans as they figure out how to go back home,” the report cites professionals in Abu Dhabi.
MPs noted that the reality on the ground is far removed from the prosperity promised to these migrants. Many end up in informal “kaliwali” work with low wages and no protection.
The investigation also highlighted a sharp wage gap, with Kenyan domestic workers earning half the pay of Filipino workers performing the same duties. The disparity, the report says, results from Kenya lacking strong bilateral agreements like those the Philippines has, which guarantee minimum wages and protections for its citizens.
The probe further revealed the urgent need for shelters. In the absence of proper facilities, the Kenyan Embassy in Abu Dhabi has had to temporarily accommodate stranded workers. Women make up the majority of distress cases, accounting for seven out of ten, reflecting their heightened vulnerability.
“Some lose their jobs after differing with their employers and need a safe holding place… they are too vulnerable,” the committee said.
Despite repeated advocacy by the State Department for Diaspora Affairs over the past two years, funding for dedicated shelters has not been secured. Workers also face long and costly journeys to Dubai for basic consular services such as passport renewal, a near-impossible task for those whose employers restrict movement. Plans to deploy officials to Abu Dhabi twice a month have not yet been implemented.
The report also warns that the financial and social impacts of exploitation often follow migrants home. Many return to Kenya having lost their life savings in fraudulent investment schemes, deepening the economic hardship caused by their experience abroad.
The committee called for stricter regulation of recruitment agencies, better labour agreements with the UAE, and expanded support services to safeguard the welfare of Kenyan workers abroad.
