Two Kenyans stranded in Saudi Arabia have appealed for government intervention to help them return home after their former employer barred them from leaving due to an alleged Kes. 1.08 million debt.
Evanson Kariuki and Said Olunga have been stuck in the Gulf nation for years after their former employer filed a case against them, claiming they each owe 15,750 Riyals (Kes. 540,265). Kariuki explained that their employer terminated their contract after they inquired about partial salary payments and the failure to renew their Saudi Residence Identity Card, commonly known as Iqama.
“The employer filed a case against us in court, claiming that we owe him money, and a travel ban was issued against us. We cannot travel back, yet we do not know why they are asking for the money,” Kariuki stated.
Kariuki, 32, from Nairobi, and Olunga, 48, from Kakamega, traveled to Saudi Arabia in November 2020 to work as truck drivers under a two-year contract. However, before the end of November 2022, their employer terminated the contracts, which the two attribute to their inquiries about delayed salaries and the non-renewal of their residence cards.
“We were not receiving our full salaries, and our identity documents were not being renewed, so we couldn’t send money back home. When we asked about it, our passports were withheld, and the truck keys were taken from us,” Kariuki explained as quoted by the Standard.
Contract Terms
Contract documents between the two Kenyans and the transport company reveal that they were hired with a monthly salary of 1,200 Saudi Riyals (Kes. 41,164) and a food allowance of 200 Saudi Riyals (Kes. 6,860). However, Olunga claims they received only 800 Riyals instead of the agreed 1,400 Riyals after the employer stated that the deductions covered their traffic violation fees.
Initially, seven Kenyans worked for the company, but some were deported, leaving the duo vulnerable to their employer.
Kariuki mentioned that they reported the situation to Kenya’s Labour Attaché in Saudi Arabia, who advised them to file a case against the company at the country’s labor office.
“Initially, we were seven people, but five were arrested and later deported while the employer filed a case against the two of us, claiming we owed them 15,750 Riyals (Kes. 540,265) each. They said it was company procedure,” he said.
Kariuki further claimed that their employer confiscated their passports for a year before returning them and instructing them to seek help from the embassy. “We have suffered a lot, and at this point, we just need assistance to come back home,” said Kariuki, who previously worked as a taxi driver.
Kariuki also alleged that the company submitted documents in court containing their names and signatures. “The signatures were forged because the documents were written in Arabic. We have never signed anything without translation,” he stated.
The two men are now relying on well-wishers for support. “Every time we visit the deportation offices, we are told there is a travel ban and that we must first clear with the company,” said Olunga, a former driver from Kakamega.
They are calling on the Ministry of Foreign Affairs to intervene in their situation. “I am a father of six, and my family is suffering. I cannot provide for them or pay their school fees. We just want to go back home. We are not even interested in the salary arrears,” Olunga added.
