"Saudi Labor Dispute Turns into Sh1.08 Million Debt for Stranded Kenyans,"

Two Kenyan nationals Evanson Kariuki and Said Olunga stranded in Saudi Arabia have requested the government's assistance to come back home as they are prohibited from leaving due to a Sh 1.08 million 'debt'.

The men, aged 32 and 48 respectively, find themselves unable to return home due to a substantial alleged debt of 15,750 Riyals (approximately Sh540,265) each, totalling Sh1.08 million. Kariuki and Olunga embarked on their journey to Saudi Arabia in November 2020, securing positions as truck drivers under two-year contracts. However, their employment was prematurely terminated in November 2022, a situation they attribute to their inquiries regarding delayed salary payments and the non-renewal of their residence cards. The men claim that their employer withheld their passports and confiscated their truck keys in response to these inquiries.

According to the contract documents, the Kenyans were to receive a monthly salary of 1200 Saudi Riyals (Sh41,164) plus a food allowance of 200 Saudi Riyals (Sh6,860). However, Olunga alleges that they were only paid 800 Riyals, with the employer justifying the deductions as payments for traffic violation fees. Initially part of a larger group of seven Kenyans, five of their compatriots were subsequently deported, leaving Kariuki and Olunga in the Gulf country. The men sought assistance from Kenya's Labour Attaché in Saudi Arabia, who advised them to file a case against the company with the local labour office. However, this action appears to have backfired as the employer countered by filing a case against them, claiming the alleged debt.

Kariuki contends that the company presented documents in court bearing their names and signatures, which he asserts were forged, as the documents were in Arabic and they had never signed anything without translation....