Seventy of the 200 Kenyans languishing in Saudi Arabian jails have been convicted of pimping, which is the procuring of prostitutes.
Another 30 in the group the government has reportedly distanced itself from, have been charged with prostitution, 20 misconduct and 13 theft.
Other charges include having hashish, embezzlement, fornication, human trafficking, illegal gathering and having intoxicants.
Charges of sorcery, dishonesty, trespassing, two cases of burning employers, forgery and forming kidnapping gangs were also cited.
The Saudi Arabia Foreign ministry provided a list of Kenyan nationals convicted since 2013, days after a video of Kenyan girls being tortured at a detention camp went viral.
They were jailed in Eastern Region, Riyadh, Makkah, Jeddah, Tabouk, Aseer and Jazan after being found guilty of the charges.
The country said they face at least four months in jail with 70 lashes, and at most 10 years with 1,000 lashes, besides a fine of 7000 Saudi Riyals.
All 200 Kenyans went to Saudi Arabia on work permits for employment as drivers, house helps, guards and electricians.
They secured their employment and visas through various Kenyan recruiting agencies for jobs in the Middle East.
An officer from Kenya’s Foreign Affairs ministry, who did not want to be named, said; “Those convicted should carry their own cross.”
He said the government has no way of helping those who have broken the law in Saudi Arabia and have been convicted by courts of law.
Recruitment agencies have accused the Kenyan ministry of “deliberately” blocking a source of livelihood.
They have accused the CS of taking advantage of self-recorded clips to rule out genuine agencies.
Diaspora Welfare Association of Kenya chairman David Njoroge said it was unfair for the government to term agencies rogue.
“There has never been legal representation by Kenyan counsel; our people are just as good as Zebras in the desert,” he said.
“Let it do comprehensive vetting of the agencies, send a team to Saudi to find out the situation and above all provide labor attachés at the Embassy.”
Source- the-star.co.ke
