Diana Chepkemoi Speaks After Returning To Kenya From Saudi Arabia

The embassy noted that Chepkemoi was rescued from the house of her employer, who was reported to be part of a prominent family.

Diana Chepkemoi Speaks After Returning To Kenya From Saudi Arabia
Diana Chepkemoi arrives at the Jomo Kenyatta International Airport (JKIA) on September 6, 2022. /TWITTER

UPDATE 3.32 pm: Diana Chepkemoi has spoken about her horrible experiences after landing at the Jomo Kenyatta International Airport (JKIA) on Tuesday, September 6.

“I left Kenya to go to Saudi Arabia with the hopes of getting a better life and to be honest, mine was just a tip of the iceberg, people are suffering there. My friends are suffering there.

“It is a shame being told there is nothing you can do and there’s nothing your government can do. I’m pleading with the government to please do something. Help them because they're suffering, it's just that I found a voice,” she said.

Her mother Clara Chepkemoi, who was at the airport to welcome her back, weighed in by stating that it was better for one to look for employment in their own country. She added that she was unsure of Saudi Arabia but had to let Diana travel to the Middle East country.

“I am very grateful at this moment because God has done great things to me. It was a critical condition whereby I could not imagine what to do. As a mother, it is painful to have our children assaulted abroad. It is better to hustle here and be in peace and happiness,” Clara stated.

“I was not happy about Saudi Arabia. But because she (Diana) said that she was going to hustle for her siblings, I gave her permission."

The Kenyan Embassy in Saudi Arabia on Monday, September 5 issued an update with regards to 24-year-old Kenyan, Diana Chepkemoi, a university student whose photos surfaced of her being held against her will in Saudi Arabia, which went viral and sparked a massive uproar countrywide.

The embassy noted that Chepkemoi was rescued from the house of her employer, who was reported to be part of a prominent family.

She was rushed to a hospital in the Saudi capital of Riyadh and later discharged. Chepkemoi was referred to a special hospital for further diagnosis.

"The Mission wishes to inform that Diana Chepkemoi flies back to Kenya today, 5/9/2022, to join her family. Diana was picked up from her employer's house by an Ambulance, rushed to a top-level hospital (Shamesi) in Riyadh for a checkup, discharged and referred to a specialized hospital for further diagnosis and given a clean bill of health," the embassy stated in part.

An image of a city in Saudi Arabia. /SHUTTERSTOCK

It expressed its gratitude to the Ministry of Labour and the Consular Departments of the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia for their quick response and intervention in this case. 

The Embassy further thanked the Saudi Government for giving employment opportunities to hundreds of thousands of Kenyans who work and reside in the Kingdom.

In the pictures circulated by Chepkemoi's family and human rights activists, the university student looked emaciated. 

The ordeal drew the attention of former NTV news anchor and AMREF Communications Director Lizz Ntonjira, who challenged PS Kamau on why Kenyans working in the Middle East Countries were continuously being mistreated.

"Amb Kamau, but for your long will our sisters continue being enslaved in the Middle East? How many lives have been lost in the past? Still, do these rogue agencies that send these young girls out there exist? What is being done?" she posed on Twitter.

In a rejoinder, Foreign Affairs Principal Secretary Ambassador Macharia Kamau noted that the government had warned Kenyans on numerous occasions against travelling to the Gulf Countries for employment. However, it was the tone of the response that did not sit well with members of the public.

"We have told Kenyans repeatedly to stop sending this category of workers to Saudi [Arabia]. You’ve chosen not to listen," he responded.

Another statement that drew sharp reactions from members of the public is one from the Saudi Embassy in Kenya on Saturday, September 3.

“In reference to what was circulated on social media regarding allegations of mistreatment of a Kenyan woman residing in the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia. The Embassy would like to clarify that the woman suffers from a normal health condition and was not subjected to any kind of ill-treatment,” 

Meanwhile, Chepkemoi's family disclosed a chilling phone conversation with their kin's employer who reached out to them, dismissing the harassment claims and terming her as a tireless complainer who came up with excuses to avoid work.

“You could tell something was wrong, she said the boss was mistreating her, she was ill, couldn’t access hospital and her health was deteriorating quickly. The boss would only give her painkillers," Chepkemoi's sister, Lorrain Cheptoo, told Citizen TV.

Cheptoo added that different agencies had rushed to take action after Chepkemoi's story ignited fury across the country, with photos of her shared online capturing her desperate state. She further confirmed that her sister would be returning to the country on the next flight as she awaits her visa to be processed

Susan Makungu, the agent who facilitated Chepkemoi's employment in the gulf country, had also condemned the actions against the student and that plans to rescue her were frustrated by the employer.

Collage image of Diana Chepkemoi, a Kenyan University student working as a house manager in Saudi Arabia. /FILE