Kenyan workers stuck in Beirut, Lebanon, have called on the government to facilitate their repatriation.
In an emotional video shared by human rights activist Boniface Mwangi, the female workers narrated that they had been kicked out of their places of work without pay and can’t afford to purchase air tickets home.
Citing financial constraints, the women said they are homeless and can’t afford daily meals.
They begged Kenyan authorities to sponsor their return home.
According to one of the women, other nations have evacuated their nationals affected by the layoffs apparently occasioned by the global coronavirus pandemic.
Read: 700 Kenyans Stranded Abroad Evacuated, Gov’t Encourages Stuck Citizens To Shelve Travel Plans
The women said they can’t wait to reunite with their families and at least share the little available back home.
“We are hopeless here in Lebanon, we want to go back to our country, we don’t have food and even water to drink. We are stranded here in Lebanon, Uhuru Muigai Kenyatta our President, our Deputy President William Ruto and the government at large please we need your help. We don’t have money to pay for our tickets. We can’t even afford our daily meals, ” the woman said in an emotional appeal.
Kenyan domestic workers in #Lebanon #Beirut are begging to be repatriated. They were thrown out of their places of work without their pay. They don’t have money to buy air tickets. Video received via WhatsApp from one of the workers. @ForeignOfficeKE @StateHouseKenya #SemaUkweli pic.twitter.com/WGt08xKpqs
— The People’s Watchman (@bonifacemwangi) August 10, 2020
The woman was flanked by her colleagues who broke down while narrating their woes.
The appeal comes weeks after claims that women who sought help at Beirut consulate were mistreated.
A CNN report indicated that the Kenyan Honorary Consul in Beirut, Sayed Chalouhi, and his assistant Kassem Jaber, physically and verbally assaulted the women.
The women also told the Cable News Network that the two officials urged them to work as sex workers so as to raise money for their repatriation.
Kenyan authorities said they are probing the matter.
Read Also: Happy To Be Home: 129 Kenyan Students Stuck In Sudan Finally Evacuated
Over the recent past, the Kenyan government has evacuated Kenyans who were stuck in India, China and the United Kingdom as many expressed the need to return home.
The government, however, maintained that Kenyan wishing to be repatriated must be able to meet their own travel expenses.
Many Kenyans shelved plans to travel home citing the huge expenses amid economic slowdown.
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