Kenyan Embassy Officials Exploit Maids Seeking Help Overseas

Multiple Kenyan women, seeking refuge from abusive conditions in Saudi Arabia, allege that embassy officials exploited their vulnerability by demanding sex or money for help returning home, revealing a broader pattern of abuse among diplomats.

In a chilling account of abuse and exploitation, Kenyan women who sought help from their embassy while working as maids in Saudi Arabia have reported that some embassy officials took advantage of their vulnerable situation. One such case is that of Selestine Kemoli, who fled to the Kenyan Embassy in Riyadh in 2020 after enduring horrific treatment at the hands of her employer, who she claims physically and sexually abused her.

According to Kemoli, when she approached the embassy’s labor attaché, Robinson Juma Twanga, pleading for assistance to return home to her children in Kenya, she was met with an unsettling proposal. Mr. Twanga purportedly told her, “I will sleep with you, just the same way your boss has slept with you.” This was not an isolated incident, as several women from different backgrounds reported similar experiences of being pressured into sexual favors or being coerced into sex work to finance their return home.

Lawyers representing these women have suggested that this type of exploitation is not uncommon among officials at the Kenyan embassies in the Gulf region. These findings evoke concerns about systemic abuse of power among diplomats, particularly those responsible for the welfare of overseas workers during their most desperate moments. As these stories come to light, there are growing calls for accountability and reform to protect vulnerable individuals seeking help abroad.