Four Kenyan women were last week arrested in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia, after a Television investigative series exposed their ways. The four were taking part in prostitution and other illegal activities among them consumption of alcohol – a crime in the Arab nation.
The women were arrested by government authorized religious police (cleric police) from The General Presidency of the promotion of virtue and the prevention of vice, in the course of the journalist’s investigation.
The journalist had introduced himself to one of the Kenyans through a messaging app, pretending to be in need of alcohol and casual sex.
Samila, as the first Kenyan woman introduced herself to the journalist, claimed to have a well paying job at an embassy. Samila and the journalist are heard negotiating inside a car, and at one point the Kenyan is heard speaking in Swahili, to what seems like an accomplice.
The journalist would later ask Samila to bring more friends for an exclusive party at a friend’s.
Samila would soon mobilize the other three Kenyans and converge where they were supposed to be picked up. Little did they know that they were walking into a trap, because immediately they entered their client’s car, cleric police descended on them.
Two of the ladies turned on Samila, who they said had set them up. They claimed that she had informed them that they were going to meet a new kaafeel (sponsor) so that they can work for him and that they did not know that they were going for a party. The police were however not convinced.
The four Kenyans are now in custody and will face charges ranging from prostitution, possession of alcohol and unlawful mingling with men.
This is just one of the few well documented cases. It is believed that tens of Kenyan women are serving jail terms in Saudi for similar offenses.
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