CS Mutua heads to Saudi Arabia in bid to address mistreatment of Kenyan migrant workers

Foreign and Diaspora Affairs Cabinet Secretary (CS) Dr. Alfred Mutua has flown to the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia in a bid to address the plight of mistreated Kenyan migrant workers in the Gulf State.

This follows a commitment the CS made last month when he appeared before Parliament for vetting in which he vowed to prioritize the issue should his nomination to the Foreign Affairs Ministry be approved by the House.

"This visit follows his meeting with the Saudi Ambassador H.E. Khalid Abdullah Alsalman last week on October 28, 2022 where they held discussions touching on various issues, central of which was the welfare of Kenyans working in Saudi Arabia," the Foreign Affairs Ministry said in a statement.

On October 31, 2022, Mutua held subsequent talks with representatives of employment agents who recruit Kenyans for jobs in Saudi Arabia where the CS likewise promised to travel to the Gulf State to get firsthand testimonials from mistreated Kenyans working in the Middle Eastern nation.

This, the CS said, would help him come up with lasting solutions to address the welfare challenges of the said workers.

"While in Saudi Arabia, Dr. Mutua will also explore other issues of interest to our country including various forms of direct & indirect investments, export market opportunities, and other forms of bilateral trade, as part of his intention of increasing Kenya's inflows from the diaspora from the current Ksh.400 billion to over Ksh.1trillion shillings per year," said the Foreign Affairs Ministry.

After concluding business in Saudi, Mutua will then fly to Munster, Germany where he is expected to grace the G7 Foreign Minister's meeting slated for November 4, 2022.

"The CS will provide an update on Kenya's role in promoting regional peace and security. He will also seek partnerships that will promote the Government's agenda of empowering medium and small-scale enterprises," Mutua's Ministry said.