Alfred Mutua's First Directive After Kenyan Man Detained In Tanzania

Former Machakos Governor, Alfred Mutua, issued his first directive as Foreign Affairs Cabinet Secretary in response to a Kenyan citizen allegedly detained in Tanzania.

The Kenyan, Frederick Omondi, was hired by his first employer to oversee the construction of a multi-million project in Tanzania before the employer passed on during the pandemic period.

The deceased's last-born son then started trouble for Omondi after accusing him of stealing construction materials and despite moving to another town in Tanzania, the employer allegedly followed him and took over his business.

"So I opened a Pharmacy which cost me nearly Ksh1.5 million - I even have my transactions receipts.

"This guy took the pharmacy claiming that you are using our pharmacy to build it," Omondi claimed.

Omondi had his passport confiscated, which made him lose his job as he could not carry out any foreign transactions in the country. He was also struggling to pay his wife's Ksh700,000 hospital bill after she gave birth with complications. 

"Meanwhile, I cannot work in this country because I need a work permit to work which is stuck on the passport, and yet they are holding on to my passport," he stated.

In response, Mutua directed officials in Tanzania to get to the bottom of the matter after Omondi's plight was captured in a video clip which went viral on social media.

"I have noted the online clip of Kenyan Frederick Omondi who is being held in Tanzania. I have directed our Tanzanian team to find out the whole story and to assist him.

"As I had said earlier, every Kenyan who is outside Kenya will receive attention and support regardless of the situation," Mutua stated on Tuesday, November 1.

On Monday, October 31, Mutua met representatives of employment agents who recruit Kenyans for jobs in Saudi Arabia and other regions.

"My mission was to understand the issues so that as a Government we can ensure that Kenyans in the Diaspora are safe and sound. The information gathered paints a different story from the blame-game trending in the media channels.

"We want to move to a point where we get to the root cause of the challenges that Kenyans face while working with governments and states that are offering opportunities for our people. The reality is that something is very wrong," he stated after the meeting.

Mutua announced that he will be travelling to Saudi Arabia this week to meet the authorities and Kenyan Diaspora with a view to gathering more information that will enable him to institute long-lasting solutions to the challenges faced by Kenyan workers.

Foreign Affairs CS Alfred Mutua holds a meeting with representatives of employment agents who recruit Kenyans for jobs in Saudi Arabia and other regions on Monday, October 31, 2022. /FACEBOOK.ALFRED MUTUA