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{
    "id": 1119592,
    "url": "https://info.mzalendo.com/api/v0.1/hansard/entries/1119592/?format=api",
    "text_counter": 269,
    "type": "speech",
    "speaker_name": "Sen. Omogeni",
    "speaker_title": "",
    "speaker": {
        "id": 13219,
        "legal_name": "Erick Okong'o Mogeni",
        "slug": "erick-okongo-mogeni"
    },
    "content": "Mr. Temporary Speaker, Sir, the other point I want to emphasize on the report that have been brought before us by this Committee is the requirement that all local agencies that recruit and send our Kenyans out there should be registered. I do not know what mechanism we can find under the Ministry of Labour so that we can hold them liable. How do you recruit a Kenyan in Nairobi and send them to Saudi Arabia, but bear no responsibility when these Kenyans are mistreated and die in the hands of foreigners? Some time back we used to find hundreds of Kenyans around Agip House seeking employment from these agencies. Six months down the line, they close shop and disappear. Like the case I gave you for Nyamira, when the relatives of that girl wanted to trace the agency that recruited that poor girl, they had closed shop. Mr. Temporary Speaker, Sir, I agree with the recommendation by Sen. Sakaja that we should have a clear mechanism where these agencies have registered offices and contact persons. Even when they fold up, there should be a clause tying them to be responsible to have contacts where they can be reached for a period of a certain number of years. Another thing that I agree with is that our labour officers in Kenya--- This is basically an employment issue. We are allowing more than 80 Kenyans to work in Saudi Arabia, just like our nurses are going to London. I read in the papers and have not seen the comprehensive report. I read in the papers that the Ministry has negotiated that these nurses will be given money equivalent to I think 7,000 Pounds as a settlement package in the United Kingdom (UK). They have been negotiated for return tickets, they have been allowed to relocate with their families. They have been given an option to become citizens in the UK. Mr. Temporary Speaker, Sir, this means that in the case of domestic workers, they are left on their own. Those poor Kenyans are left on their own, but when it comes to the specialized cadre like nurses, the Government has taken a keen interest. The Principal Secretary (PS) for Health flew all the way to London to negotiate terms for the 20,000 Kenyans who are going to work in the UK. I have never heard that the PS for Labour made a trip to the United Arab Emirates (U.A.E), Saudi Arabia or Qatar to negotiate terms for these poor Kenyans. We need to see some interest from the Ministry of Labour. Mr. Temporary Speaker, Sir, I can see that my time is up. I thank Sen. Sakaja for this very good report. I hope that this is not going to gather dust in the shelves. I really hope that we will ensure that the recommendations we have made are taken out by the Government and that action will be taken so that we can give a smile to these Kenyans who are out there trying to eke a living for their families that have been left behind. They"
}