A Kenyan family living in Dubai is seeking assistance from the government after the foreign authorities held their passports over Sh1.5 million in rent arrears.
Speaking to People Daily on Sunday, Mwaura Muteria who hails from Murang’a county admitted to defaulting on the rent payments after he lost his job in 2016.
According to Mr Muteria, the company he was working with then as a project manager terminated his contract without notice hence the financial problems.
It is then that things quickly went downhill for him and the family. He opted to stay in the foreign country and fend for his family but could not however cover the rent starting 2017. He is said to have written bad checks to the landlord.
He would later return to Kenya and upon his return to Dubai, the landlord had filed a criminal case against him.
“I pleaded guilty and prayed to be released against my passport so that I could look for a job and start paying the money owed to the landlord. However, I have not been fortunate to get a job in the last three years,” he told the daily.
In February 2018, things were looking up for Muteria who landed a job with Oxfam International as a security advisor.
This did not last long, he noted.
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Many attempts later, Muteria is being offered yet another job but this time in Yemen. He is however worried that he will miss yet another opportunity.
“Though we had paid part of our rent in cash, the landlord told me that all legal fees and the returned cheques must be paid in full before he withdraws the case and travel ban on my name. They are claiming about Sh1.5 million. I have no ability to raise this amount and we are seeking assistance to offset the bill,” he continued.
He further divulged that their residence visas are expiring this week, which the daily explains means they might be forced to pay immigration overstay fines of up to Sh2,000 unless they exit the country within seven days.
“I have no ability to raise this amount and we are seeking assistance to offset the bill,” he lamented.
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