Kenyans in Middle East express fears, hopes

Since the war between the United States and Iran broke out on Saturday, Kenyans living and working in the Middle East have been sending home messages of fear and hope.

On TikTok and Facebook, many are seeking to reassure their families that they are safe, while others are expressing fears and uncertainties following the closure of the airspace of many Gulf countries.

Many Kenyans work in Saudi Arabia, Qatar, the United Arab Emirates and Kuwait. These countries are located in a region now under heightened security concerns due to retaliatory attacks by Iran.

Kenyans who spoke on condition of anonymity said they have been barred from sharing information or images of the attacks online.

*Mary, a domestic worker in Bahrain, said they are staying at home following an order restricting movements to avoid security risks.

“We are really scared because we do not know where else the missiles will hit. It could be in residential areas. It is even difficult because the airlines are not working,” she said.

There are fears that escalation of the conflict may destabilise the countries further, leaving the lives of millions of migrant workers in limbo.

On Tuesday, the United States President Donald Trump threatened that the “big wave” of attack on Iran is yet to come, raising security concerns over the Gulf countries neighbouring Iran that are experiencing strikes in Iran’s retaliatory attacks.

However, despite the tension, many Kenyans in the Middle East remain hopeful that the situation will not get worse.

A Kenyan TikTok user shared a video dismissing claims that people in countries, including migrant workers in countries neighbouring Iran, including UAE, are in danger.

In the video, she showed images of transportation, including public services going on normally, to emphasize that the situation is not as dire as depicted on social media.

“I decided to do this video because there is misinformation on social media, but we are safe and things are working well. We are very safe, although there are strikes that have hit some facilities such as the airport,” said a Kenyan TikTok user.

She urged other migrant workers in the Gulf to avoid causing unnecessary panic to their families back home.

“The UAE government has assured us that we are safe and they are sending security alerts and asking people to stay indoors. I urge people to just follow the security precautions as issued by the host governments and avoid being near the targets,” she added.

Already, Iran has hit US Embassies in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia and in Kuwait, forcing the United States to close their embassies and order their citizens to evacuate.

Juliet Migwi, another Kenyan living in Dubai, posted on TikTok expressing fears for her safety and her family’s as the US-Iran conflict escalates.

According to the Ministry of Foreign and Diaspora Affairs, there are about 500,000 Kenyans in the Middle East.

Saudi Arabia hosts the majority of the migrant workers, with about 360,000 Kenyans and 70,000 in Qatar. Others are in Yemen, the UAE, Kuwait, Oman and Iran.

“So far no Kenyan has raised alarm of being in danger and the Kenyan embassies across the region are on high alert and waiting for Kenyans in distress,” said Musalia Mudavadi, Prime Cabinet Secretary and Cabinet Secretary for Foreign and Diaspora Affairs.

The CS said that where there will be cases of alarm, the embassies in liaison with the Ministry in Nairobi, will make arrangements for Kenyans to be evacuated.

According to the International Labour Organisation, there are about 40 million migrant workers in the Middle East, accounting for 40 per cent of the region’s labour force.

Mudavadi issued an advisory to all Kenyans in the Gulf to contact the embassies in case of an emergency. The ministry provided contacts for embassies in Oman, Iran, Saudi Arabia, Kuwait, Israel, Abu Dhabi and the Consulate–General in Dubai.

“The Ministry continues to encourage those likely in distress to communicate with the Kenyan embassies in the region to ensure they are catered for,” the PCS told The Standard.