Kenya’s President William Ruto is under intense pressure following allegations that his administration protected a longtime diplomat accused of sexually abusing Kenyan women working in Saudi Arabia.
The diplomat, Robinson Juma Twanga, served for years as a labour attaché in the Middle Eastern kingdom.
His role gave him significant influence over the thousands of Kenyan migrant workers — mostly women — seeking assistance from the embassy, according to a report by The New York Times.
Mr Ruto has built part of his economic strategy around boosting labour migration abroad, a policy that elevated Mr Twanga’s importance within government circles.
However, the report suggests that Kenyan officials downplayed or ignored serious complaints from women seeking help after suffering abuse in Saudi Arabia.
In recent years, hundreds of Kenyan workers have died under unclear circumstances in the Gulf nation.
Autopsy reports cited unexplained injuries and mysterious falls, while survivors accused employers of rape, assault and other forms of violence — often without consequences.
Multiple women also alleged that Mr Twanga demanded sex or money in exchange for assistance.
Some of the women alleged that Mr Twanga pressured them to engage in sex work to raise funds for plane tickets home.
Despite these grave accounts, Kenyan authorities have publicly denied knowledge of such accusations.
The country’s labour ministry admitted it had received several complaints about the diplomat as far back as 2019, but no disciplinary action was taken.
A Kenyan union leader also disclosed that he reported allegations of abuse to the government in 2020, but nothing was done.
