Kenya Fiercely Responds To New York Times’ Explosive Article

Kenya Fiercely Responds To New York Times’ Explosive Article

Prime Cabinet Secretary and Foreign Affairs CS Musalia Mudavadi has denied media reports that the Kenya Kwanza administration is engaging in the’slave trade’.

Mudavadi confirmed that the Kenyan government had implemented measures to protect the safety of all Kenyans working overseas. As a result, he emphasized that any claims to the contrary were misleading.

The PCS released a statement following his appearance before the National Assembly on Wednesday, November 19.

This comes just days after a New York Times investigation found that numerous government officials and members of President William Ruto’s family were involved in recruitment agencies that sent Kenyans to Saudi Arabia without sufficient preparation or security.

“It is therefore misleading, careless, and sensational for any media outlet to insinuate that the Government has, at any point, participated in or tolerated slavery or the exploitation of Kenyans pursuing opportunities abroad,” Mudavadi stated.

I want to state that, as a government, we take great exception to the articles that were published by the New York Times. We want to state clearly that Kenya is a responsible member of the international community and we do not engage in human trafficking; neither does the… pic.twitter.com/jO5Zj1HVd2

— Kenyans.co.ke (@Kenyans) November 19, 2025

“Our commitment remains unwavering to shield our citizens, expand their opportunities, and elevate Kenya’s global footprint with dignity and resolve.”

Mudavadi told MPs that the government has taken ‘bold, decisive, and forward-looking efforts’ to protect Kenyans working overseas.

Among these, he noted the deregistration of almost 600 fraudulent recruitment organizations. He revealed that any agency seeking licensure must provide free insurance coverage to Kenyan workers.

He also emphasized the establishment of the State Department for Diaspora Affairs, the first in Kenya’s history, to advocate for the rights and ambitions of the diaspora community.

This department, he said, has resulted in an increase in remittances from Kenyans in the diaspora from Ksh490 billion in 2022 to Ksh650 billion in 2024, with a national aim of Ksh1 trillion by 2027.

This is despite Kenya garnering criticism when four million citizens overseas together sent nearly Ksh1 trillion home, making labor the most valuable export, surpassing tea and coffee.

The New York Times has an article that shows Kenya's shift in policy from exporting crops to exporting workers.

It then links this shift to the rising abuse of Kenyan domestic workers in Saudi Arabia where they are also paid about 40% less than Filipinos doing the same job. pic.twitter.com/4FGaWaW0OP

— Mwango Capital (@MwangoCapital) November 15, 2025

The New York Times report highlighted the predicament of neglected unwed Kenyan mothers in Saudi Arabia, with the majority of them left homeless in Riyadh due to bureaucratic delays at the Kenyan Embassy.

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The story claimed that this labor export would benefit the agency owners, noting that the President’s wife and daughter were key shareholders in one of these recruitment companies.

Despite the fact that these Kenyans are among the lowest-paid foreign domestic workers, they receive little to no assistance when they encounter problems at work.

The minimum average was recently changed from about Ksh31,000 per month to Ksh34,000.

With governments responsible for negotiating on behalf of their citizens, the Kenyan government has raised concerns that if the wage is increased, they might lose jobs to other cheaper African countries like Burundi and Ethiopia.

Kenya Fiercely Responds To New York Times’ Explosive Article