• According to Prime Cabinet Secretary Musalia Mudavadi, Kenya has recorded over 316 deaths of migrant workers in the Gulf region, with Arab countries accounting for 166 of those cases. In response, Kenyan authorities have taken steps to repatriate exploited workers, regulate recruitment agencies, and host legal forums.
Across Africa, rising unemployment continues to push thousands of young people to seek work abroad, often in Arab and Asian countries driven by the hope of financial stability and a better future. But for many, the journey leads not to opportunity, but to exploitation, abuse, and, in some cases, unexplained death.

A recent BBC exposé titled Death in Dubai unmasked the harrowing ordeal faced by African women lured by false promises. The documentary follows the stories of Monic Karungi and Kayla Birungi, two young Ugandan women who died after falling from a high-end building in Dubai.

In a similar tragedy, Emily Nyamoita, a 24-year-old Kenyan woman, left for Lebanon hoping to earn enough to support her family and pay medical bills for her siblings. Just days before her planned return in June 2025, her parents received a call from a friend informing them of her sudden death.

The circumstances remain unclear, adding to the growing list of unsolved deaths among African migrant workers.

According to Prime Cabinet Secretary Musalia Mudavadi, Kenya has recorded over 316 deaths of migrant workers in the Gulf region, with Arab countries accounting for 166 of those cases. In response, Kenyan authorities have taken steps to repatriate exploited workers, regulate recruitment agencies, and host legal forums.

Yet despite these efforts, a significant gap remains in investigating deaths, delivering justice, and ensuring the safety of those still abroad.

Globally, the conversation around migrant rights intersects with broader struggles for gender equality. UN Secretary-General António Guterres recently acknowledged that progress remains slow and uneven.

“No nation has achieved full equality for women and girls,” he said. “Let’s be clear: equal rights and opportunities are not partisan issues. Leaders must speak out, act, and deliver the equality our world so sorely needs.”