Prime Cabinet Secretary Musalia Mudavadi has begun a three-day official visit to Saudi Arabia, where the welfare of more than 300,000 Kenyans working in the Gulf nation is expected to take centre stage during talks with senior government officials.
The visit comes at a time when concerns over the treatment of Kenyan migrant workers in Saudi Arabia continue to grow, with reports of unpaid salaries, harsh working conditions, contract breaches and abuse surfacing over the years.
In a statement on Friday, the Ministry of Foreign and Diaspora Affairs said Mudavadi will hold a series of high-level meetings aimed at strengthening ties between Kenya and Saudi Arabia, while pushing for better protection and improved working conditions for Kenyans living and working in the country.
The discussions are also expected to focus on labour mobility, trade, investment and ways of expanding economic cooperation between the two nations.
Saudi Arabia remains one of the biggest destinations for Kenyans seeking jobs abroad, especially in the domestic, construction, healthcare and hospitality sectors.
Every year, thousands of young Kenyans travel to the Gulf in search of greener pastures, making the country one of Kenya’s largest labour markets.
However, the journey has not always been smooth.
In recent years, the government has been forced to intervene in several cases involving distressed workers, some of whom returned home with harrowing accounts of exploitation, while others lost their lives under unclear circumstances.
The incidents have piled pressure on Nairobi to negotiate stronger labour agreements and tighten the regulation of recruitment agencies.
Beyond labour issues, Mudavadi’s visit is also expected to deepen economic ties between the two countries by exploring fresh opportunities in trade, investment and other strategic sectors.
The trip comes as Kenya continues to rely on diaspora remittances as one of its leading sources of foreign exchange, with thousands of families depending on income sent home by relatives working overseas.
The outcome of the talks is expected to shape future cooperation between Kenya and Saudi Arabia, particularly on protecting Kenyan workers while creating more employment opportunities for those seeking jobs in the Gulf.