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{
    "id": 1273143,
    "url": "https://info.mzalendo.com/api/v0.1/hansard/entries/1273143/?format=api",
    "text_counter": 360,
    "type": "speech",
    "speaker_name": "Ms. Florence Bore",
    "speaker_title": "The Cabinet Secretary for Labour and Social Protection",
    "speaker": null,
    "content": " Thank you, Hon. Deputy Speaker. I also thank the Member for asking the Questions. I want to respond to the first question on the number of Kenyans working in Saudi Arabia. Kenyans working in the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia are found in the following sectors: 1. Domestic work; 2. Education; 3. Banking; 4. Hotel and Catering; 5. Transport; and, 6. Agriculture. The majority of migrant workers in Saudi Arabia are engaged as domestic workers. The number of Kenyans working in Saudi Arabia is approximately 200,000, with 151,687 working in the domestic sector. The distribution of domestic migrant workers per agency is provided in Annex 1, which is available. The total number of reported deaths per country is as follows: 1. In the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia, we had 185 Kenyan migrant workers who lost their lives from 2020 to November 2022. There were 48 deaths in 2020, 60 in 2021, and 77 from January to November 2022. 2. In the United Arab Emirates, we had 45 Kenyan migrant workers who lost their lives from 2020 to December 2022. There were 10 deaths in 2020, 17 in 2021, and 18 in 2022. 3. In the State of Qatar, 53 Kenyan migrant workers lost their lives from 2020 to December 2022, with 26 of them in 2022. The causes of death range from illness to homicide. The next of kin were appropriately notified of the reported death cases through the established channels. It should be noted that for Kenyans to get medical attention in the Kingdom, their residency status should be legal. Those who have vacated their contracts are known as runaways and usually face a challenge in accessing health services. A total of 175 dispute cases were reported in the last nine months. The conflicts revolved around unpaid wages, change of employer, workload, exit after concluding employment contracts, medical treatment, injury, being held in the recruitment agencies’ accommodation without being allocated employment, runaway employees, residency ID, travel documents, and irregular extension of contracts. One hundred twenty one cases were resolved following intervention involving the parties in conflict and the Saudi authorities where necessary. A total of 97,173 Saudi Riyals (SR) were recovered and paid to the respective parties. The second part of the Question was that I explain the measures the Ministry has put in place to secure the welfare of Kenyans working in the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia. The Ministry has put in place the following measures to secure the welfare of Kenyan migrant workers in the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia: 1. The Government of Kenya and the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia signed a Bilateral Labour Agreement (BLA) on recruiting domestic workers in May 2017. The BLA is currently being reviewed to address the emerging labour and employment issues to enhance the protection of migrant workers, improve terms and conditions of service, and enhance the protection of workers. A multi- agency technical committee, with representation from the Ministry of Labour and Social Protection, the Ministry of Foreign and Diaspora Affairs and the The electronic version of the Official Hansard Report is for information purposesonly. A certified version of this Report can be obtained from the Hansard Editor."
}