Kenyan Nurse in Saudi Arabia Alleges Brutal Abuse and Forced Labor, Ignites Diaspora Fury on X

Country: Saudi Arabia
Date Published: January 4, 2026

A Kenyan nurse working in Saudi Arabia has sparked widespread outrage on X after sharing a harrowing account of physical abuse, unpaid wages, and passport confiscation by her employer, prompting calls from the Kenyan diaspora for government intervention. The story, which exploded on the platform over the weekend, originated from a viral thread posted by the nurse under the handle @MercyKEinKSA, who detailed months of exploitation since arriving on a work visa in October 2025. Her posts, viewed over 500,000 times within 48 hours, include graphic photos of bruises and screenshots of desperate pleas to her employer ignored for weeks.

The thread quickly drew responses from prominent Kenyan influencers and verified accounts, amplifying the narrative. @CitiZenTVKenya retweeted the story with a poll asking followers if the Kenyan government should blacklist Saudi recruiters, garnering over 10,000 votes with 85% in favor. Regular users from the Kenyan diaspora in the US, UK, and Gulf states piled on, sharing similar testimonies— one thread by @DiasporaWatchKE compiled 15 accounts of Kenyan domestic workers facing sponsor abuse, labeling it a "modern slavery crisis." Positive notes emerged too, with users praising community fundraising efforts that raised KSh 200,000 ($1,500) overnight via M-Pesa links to help Mercy flee.

Kenyan netizens contrasted this scandal with recent success stories, like a Kenyan doctor's NHS award in the UK shared earlier that week, highlighting the diaspora's dual reality of triumphs and traps abroad. Critics targeted recruitment agencies in Nairobi, accusing them of false promises, while supporters urged the Ministry of Labour to act swiftly. Foreign Affairs CS posted a vague assurance of "investigations," but X users dismissed it as inadequate, trending #SaveKenyanWorkersInSaudi with memes mocking diplomatic inaction.

As discussions rage into the new week, the incident underscores ongoing challenges for the over 100,000 Kenyans in Gulf countries, where remittances hit KSh 500 billion last year but at what cost? Mercy's update on January 4 confirmed her safe arrival at the Kenyan embassy in Riyadh, crediting X solidarity, but warned others: "Don't come here blind." The buzz has reignited debates on safer migration paths, with some influencers pivoting to celebrate verified success tales—like a Kenyan engineer's promotion in Canada—to balance the grim narrative.