Nairobi Father of Three Pleads for Wife to Return After Alleged Secret Move to Saudi Arabia
A father of three from Kitengela has made an emotional appeal for his wife to return home after she allegedly travelled to Saudi Arabia without informing her family, leaving him to single-handedly care for their children.
Benerd Ongaki claims his wife disappeared on June 19 after what he believed was an ordinary day. According to him, he dropped her at work as usual, unaware that it would be the last time he would see her before she allegedly left Kenya for Saudi Arabia.
Speaking about the ordeal, Ongaki said he made numerous attempts to contact his wife after she became unreachable. He later received information suggesting she had allegedly travelled to the Gulf nation through individuals believed to be involved in recruiting Kenyans for overseas jobs.
The distressed father says the unexpected departure has left him devastated and struggling to provide emotional support for their three children, who continue asking when their mother will return.
“For the sake of our children, I plead with her to come back,” Ongaki said.
He added that he fears for her welfare, citing numerous reports of Kenyan migrant workers facing exploitation, poor working conditions, restrictions on communication and other challenges after securing domestic jobs in Gulf countries, including Saudi Arabia.
Ongaki also urged government authorities to investigate recruitment networks that he believes continue to operate despite repeated crackdowns.
He alleged that some recruitment agents, particularly those operating in areas such as Ruiru, lure job seekers with promises of attractive salaries and better living conditions abroad, only for many to encounter hardship after arriving in foreign countries.
According to Ongaki, vulnerable Kenyans seeking employment are increasingly becoming targets of unscrupulous brokers who exploit the country’s high unemployment and difficult economic conditions.
His appeal comes amid renewed public scrutiny of labour migration programmes to Gulf states, where thousands of Kenyans have travelled in recent years to work mainly as domestic workers, cleaners and hospitality staff.
The Kenyan government has repeatedly acknowledged concerns surrounding unethical recruitment practices. In 2024, authorities revoked more than 700 recruitment agency licences over allegations including exploitation of job seekers and breaches of labour migration regulations.
Principal Secretary for Diaspora Affairs Roseline Njogu previously said the government had intensified oversight of recruitment agencies and strengthened monitoring mechanisms to safeguard Kenyans seeking employment abroad.
Despite those measures, concerns persist that illegal and unlicensed recruiters continue to operate across the country, targeting desperate job seekers with promises of lucrative opportunities overseas.
As investigations into alleged rogue recruitment networks continue, Ongaki says his immediate concern remains reuniting his family.
He says the most painful part of the ordeal has been trying to comfort his three children, who continue asking where their mother is and when she will return home.
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