Trapped in the crossfire, Kenyan workers plead for evacuation

From the twelfth-floor apartment along Seifeddine El Khatib Street in Nasra, Beirut, Noreen Wacu watched in terror as an explosion a few blocks away sent plumes of grey smoke billowing into the sky.

For weeks, she had clung to hope that the war brewing in the south would not creep into the Lebanese capital. But on this grim Sunday, reality struck.

“It’s finally here,” she whispered in disbelief as chaos unfolded outside. Her masters had fled two days earlier, leaving her alone to guard their home.

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The mother of three from Thika left Kenya five months ago in search of greener pastures. Now, she fears becoming another statistic in a foreign land as Israeli airstrikes move northward, hitting Beirut with unrelenting force. The Israeli military has intensified strikes against areas believed to be Hezbollah strongholds, but on the onslaught, civilians both locals and foreigners, have borne the brunt of the violence.

Wacu cannot contain her tears. “I need to leave this place; I don’t want to go back home in a casket. Who will take care of my three children back home?” said Wacu.

Wacu is among several Kenyan domestic workers who took a step of faith to venture out to look for greener pastures some 6,000 kilometers away from their motherland.

The Kenyan government says it has so far evacuated a total of 257 citizens from Lebanon.

According to Rose Njogu, the Principal Secretary for Diaspora Affairs, the evacuation process is ongoing with another batch of 300 expected to be evacuated in the next couple of weeks.

“There are no causalities among our people -grateful to God for that,” the statement added.

Some critics, however, argue that more could be done. “These are our people, and they are in danger. We cannot afford to drag our feet,” said Mombasa Woman Representative Zamzam Mohammed. For Wacu and countless other Kenyan domestic workers, the situation is harrowing: abandoned by their employers, trapped by rigid contracts, and with no means to escape.

So far, since Israel directed its focus on Lebanon, hundreds have been killed, thousands displaced, and entire neighborhoods destroyed in the relentless bombardment.

Our investigations unit has been speaking to Kenyans stranded in the war-stricken country, most of whom opened up on their urge to come back home, but are bound by their masters due to existing contracts.

Recently, Lebanon has become a magnet for Kenyan domestic workers seeking greener pastures abroad. Despite numerous reports of exploitation, abuse, and even trafficking, thousands continue to make their way to the Middle Eastern country, with unemployment and economic hardship at home playing a pivotal role.

Most of those we interviewed are young women aged between 19 and 36, mostly single mothers and unmarried. Some are holders of diplomas and professional certificates, but life did not work out for them back home.

While some employers uphold their agreements, some exploit their workers, withholding passports, salaries, and basic rights. The ongoing war has compounded their plight, trapping them in a hostile and dangerous environment.

Left alone

“My boss fled to Tripoli when things got worse. He left me behind with no money or documents,” shared Agnes, another Kenyan worker. “I know others who’ve been forced to stay in areas declared unsafe, their passports confiscated and their movements closely monitored.”

Last month, the government announced that it had set aside Sh100 million to facilitate the evacuation process for Kenyans stranded in Lebanon. However, some of the Kenyans we spoke to said they have not gotten the assistance they are seeking at the embassy.

The mental and emotional toll on these workers is immense. In a WhatsApp group called “Unstoppable Ladies in the Gulf,” with over 900 members, distress and frustration are palpable.

“This is not what I signed up for. I saved to come here, and now I might die here,” one member lamented.

Another wrote, “I spoke to my son last night. He cried the whole time. He knows I’m in danger, and it breaks my heart.”

And the agony has not spared families back in Kenya who are also living in anguish. In Nyansiongo, Kisii County, Mzee Justus Mogire hasn’t seen his daughter, Clare in two years. “The people who took her aren’t answering my calls. I haven’t eaten for days,” he said.

Clare flew to Beirut to work as a house help immediately after finishing secondary school. Her contracts, she says ended a few weeks ago, but she is yet to be paid her full salary.

“My family is living in distress, I don’t know what to do right now, my boss still owes me some arrears,” she said on phone.

For Hellen, who works as a house manager in Beirut, her contract was supposed to end in October, but her bosses said she will stick around till next year in February. She flew to Lebanon for greener pastures in October 2022. “I feel enslaved here; by now, I should have left, but they cannot allow me. I have two children back home who keep calling and asking when I will be coming home; it’s frustrating that I will have to stay longer against my wish,” she told The Standard. 

Hellen, who hails from Moi’s Bridge in Uasin Gishu County, says she has tried to link up with her agent but has not been supportive.

“The other day, I connected him with my mother, and I came to learn that he was very arrogant and disrespectful, and so from the look of things, I will have to deal with this on my own, sadly,” stated Hellen.

Meagre pay

Hellen disclosed to The Standard that she is paid a meager USD200 an equivalent of Sh25000. “It’s not much, but it’s better than nothing; I had to take up the opportunity to support my little children and my parents; I will hang on till the contract ends; I have no other option,” said Hellen.

For Eulita Cherop, who hails from Kapsabet in Nandi County, leaving Lebanon in October at the peak of the skirmishes was the best decision she took.

In recent days, she has been holding live sessions on the popular networking site Tiktok, trying to advocate for the evacuation of Kenyans still stranded in Lebanon.

For Maryanne Moraa, who still works in Saida, the third largest city in Lebanon, some 40 kilometres from the capital Beirut, she is scared, but hopeful that she will go back home. “We are always glued to the local television channels to follow the latest updates; it’s tough to imagine what will happen to us if it reaches our doorsteps. I can’t wait to find my way back home,” she told The Standard.

Moraa is troubled that her contract has been extended by another three months without her consent, and her bosses are justifying the extension to help her process her visa.

“I have no means to communicate with the agency that brought me to this land; they have all my travel documents,” said Moraa.

Some daring domestic workers are said to have fled into the streets after refusal by their bosses to release them. “There is a word for such people—Kembois— some of us are soon joining that list; our lives too matter” said Moraa.

“We moved from Mazraat with my boss when things started boiling; he ventured out to Tripoli,” said Lucy Nyarangi, another domestic worker who hail from Kitale. “I know of many other Kenyans that are still stuck there.”

According to Nyarangi, who has worked in the country for two years, even for those willing to leave Lebanon, things are tough due to existing contracts, which she says cannot be undone at this point.

“I have a friend who has been calling me; she works in areas declared unsafe. She has begged her bosses to allow her to go home, but they cannot let her go; they say her contract is still active,” said Nyarangi.

Mombasa Woman representative and a member of the Diaspora committee has criticised the state’s speed in rescuing those stranded in Lebanon. “This is a huge crisis building; every country is taking it seriously, but I don’t think we are moving at the right speed; these are the lives of poor Kenyans we are talking about here,” she told The Standard.

According to Zamzam, the agencies involved should assist the government in locating all the Kenyans they facilitated to go to Lebanon.

Media reports indicate that at least 3300 people have been killed and over 14000 others wounded in Israel’s attacks on Lebanon since the war on Gaza began.

The government has, however, said despite the tense situation, some Kenyans were still reluctant to register for the evacuation.

Some stranded Kenyans are said to be hosted in safe shelters spread across Beirut.

Ironically, the crisis comes at a time when the government is pushing to have more jobless Kenyans seek employment out of the country.