Selestine Kemoli fled to the Kenyan Embassy in Riyadh in 2020, terrified and determined.
Ms. Kemoli had been working in Saudi Arabia as a maid. Like many East Africans in her scenario, she mentioned, she was being abused. She advised the embassy’s labor attaché that her boss slashed her breasts with a paring knife, compelled her to drink urine and raped her.
Broke and alone, she needed assist getting dwelling to her two youngsters in Kenya.
“You might be lovely,” the labor attaché, Robinson Juma Twanga, responded, in line with Ms. Kemoli.
Mr. Twanga supplied to assist, she mentioned, however with a catch. “I’ll sleep with you, simply the identical manner your boss has slept with you,” she remembers him saying.
A number of girls, who didn’t know one another and lived in separate counties, advised The New York Instances that once they fled abuse in Saudi Arabia, Mr. Twanga demanded intercourse or cash, or pressured them to enter intercourse work to pay for a ticket dwelling.
Legal professionals say they’ve collected related accounts from quite a few girls involving different embassy officers. They mentioned that Mr. Twanga is however one instance of how these officers exploit girls at their most weak moments.
A spokesman for William Ruto, Kenya’s president, commenting on behalf of the International Ministry, mentioned he had no information of such complaints or any mistreatment by embassy officers.
Reached by cellphone and advised what the ladies had mentioned about him, Mr. Twanga replied: “I can not get entangled in that form of story.” He mentioned he’s retired.
The ladies, who have been interviewed throughout Kenya, gave constant accounts. They mentioned Kenyan officers insulted them and questioned whether or not they wanted assist, even once they arrived on the embassy destitute and with seen indicators of abuse.
Ms. Kemoli, as an illustration, nonetheless has a scar throughout her chest and arms.
“They didn’t take care of us,” mentioned Religion Gathuo. She left for Saudi Arabia in 2014 and mentioned that, when she sought assist after being overwhelmed and raped, one other embassy official demanded cash and anal intercourse.
Tens of 1000’s of Kenyans go annually to Saudi Arabia, the place they will earn greater than of their dwelling nation, which is in a prolonged economic crisis. A whole lot have died. Many extra have endured abuse, gone unpaid or wound up detained in a rustic that lacks efficient authorized safety for East African staff.
A Instances investigation final month revealed that highly effective East African and Saudi figures generate income off the labor system that sends these staff overseas.
When issues go unsuitable, these newest interviews present, different highly effective officers search to revenue.
A number of girls recognized Mr. Twanga. Ms. Kemoli mentioned he requested for intercourse. Two others mentioned that once they requested for assist, he berated them and advised them to return to their employers.
A fourth girl, Feith Shimila Murunga, mentioned that her boss beat her and poured scorching water on her as punishment. When she sought the embassy’s assist, she mentioned, Mr. Twanga advised her that if she didn’t wish to return to her employer, perhaps she might develop into a prostitute.
Legal professionals in Nairobi supplied the written accounts of six different girls who mentioned Mr. Twanga refused to assist or advised them to enter intercourse work.
“There’s nobody holding them accountable,” mentioned Bonareri Okeiga, who till lately was a program coordinator at International Justice Group, a authorized assist group that has helped girls doc their experiences in hopes of getting them compensation.
Whereas Mr. Twanga’s identify surfaced repeatedly, staff and their households additionally described tough experiences with different officers.
The family of three staff who died in Saudi Arabia mentioned that officers at Kenya’s International Ministry solicited money to convey the our bodies dwelling. Hussein Mohamed, the president’s spokesman, mentioned households have been typically requested “to chip in” as a result of the ministry can not afford to pay for the entire our bodies.
However family who returned to the ministry with legal professionals mentioned that they have been advised that they didn’t really must pay.
Years after coming back from Saudi Arabia, Ms. Gathuo nonetheless has a niche in her smile from when, she mentioned, her boss smashed her face with a stress cooker. After he raped and impregnated her, she mentioned, she escaped.
An embassy official supplied to assist, she mentioned, if she paid him and had anal intercourse with him. She agreed, she mentioned, and gave him all she had — about $500. However he by no means despatched her dwelling. Ultimately, Saudi Arabia deported her.
Mr. Mohamed, the presidential spokesman, didn’t reply questions on Ms. Gathuo’s account.
Ms. Kemoli, who mentioned her employer raped and minimize her, mentioned she refused Mr. Twanga’s proposition for intercourse. A well-connected relative in Kenya in the end contacted the Worldwide Group for Migration, which purchased her a ticket dwelling in 2021.
Ms. Kemoli mentioned she has by no means been totally paid for her work in Saudi Arabia. She mentioned she suffers from insomnia and sometimes breaks down sobbing, seemingly unprompted. She mentioned she has tried suicide.
Typically, she mentioned, her youngsters ask about her scars.
“I don’t know what to inform them,” she mentioned.
