As fighting intensifies in the Middle East, Kenyan human rights activists are raising concerns over the government’s response to the safety of thousands of Kenyans living and working in the region.
Their criticism follows remarks by Prime Cabinet Secretary and Foreign Affairs Cabinet Secretary Musalia Mudavadi, who urged Kenyans caught in the escalating conflict to consider leaving the region using available commercial or repatriation flights at their own expense.
The call has sparked outrage among activists and families with relatives working abroad, particularly in the Gulf region, where a large Kenyan diaspora is employed in sectors such as domestic work, construction and hospitality.
Activists say the government’s message appears insensitive at a time when many Kenyans abroad are facing uncertainty and fear as tensions escalate following retaliatory attacks by Iran against the United States and Israel.
“We have our fellow activists, fellow youths and women cry because their kins are stranded in the war region,” Francis Awino stated.
He criticized the government for encouraging citizens to seek employment overseas but failing to provide adequate support during times of crisis.
“CS Mudavadi issued a callous directive that Kenyans must return at their own expense, a stance both insensitive and inconsistent with prior government advocacy for employment abroad. CS Mutua has remained silent, abandoning his responsibility to safeguard the citizens his ministry once actively deployed. This is a glaring betrayal of the social contract. Citizens were encouraged, often actively, to travel abroad, yet the government now refuses to offer protection, evacuation, or verified channels for assistance, leaving citizens exposed in a conflict zone,” he added.
According to estimates, nearly half a million Kenyans live and work across the Middle East, making the region one of the largest destinations for Kenyan migrant workers.
Families with loved ones in the region are now urging the government to step in and facilitate evacuation flights to help those trapped in the conflict zones return home safely.
Some activists have also accused the government of offering only limited support through social media messages instead of concrete evacuation plans.
The concerns have also highlighted existing policy gaps in Kenya’s migrant worker protection system.
The National Employment Authority (NEA) recently revealed that there is currently no legislation allowing the authority to repatriate Kenyans in distress abroad, despite the existence of funds meant for that purpose.
Appearing before the National Assembly Diaspora Affairs and Migrant Workers Committee, NEA Acting Director General Edith Okoki explained that recruitment agencies contribute Sh1 million annually to a fund intended to support emergency returns, medical evacuations and repatriations.
However, the money has remained unused due to the absence of regulations guiding its utilization.
“We have experienced challenges in utilizing the money due to lack of regulations. We have not been able to touch the money for over ten years as there is no regulation to allow the same,” she stated.
As a result, the emergency fund which has existed since the establishment of the NEA in 2016 — remains idle in bank accounts even as families struggle to bring home loved ones stranded in conflict zones.
The ongoing Middle East crisis has now reignited calls for the government to establish clear legal frameworks to protect migrant workers abroad and ensure rapid response mechanisms during emergencies.
Activists say that with hundreds of thousands of Kenyans working overseas, the country must develop stronger systems to support citizens when global crises put their safety at risk.
