Kenyan Nurse in Saudi Arabia Resigns in Protest Over Abuse, Sparks Diaspora Uproar

Country: Saudi Arabia
Date Published: November 27, 2025

A Kenyan nurse working in Saudi Arabia has resigned dramatically after enduring alleged physical and verbal abuse from her employer, igniting a fierce debate among Kenyans on X about the perils faced by migrant workers in the Gulf. The story broke wide open on November 27 when @DianaWachiraKE, a verified Kenyan influencer with over 200K followers, shared a viral thread detailing the nurse's ordeal. The nurse, identified only as Mercy (to protect her identity), posted screenshots of her resignation letter and hospital documents, claiming she was slapped, denied leave, and underpaid for 18 months despite working 12-hour shifts.

The thread quickly amassed over 15,000 likes and 5,000 retweets within hours, drawing responses from diaspora communities worldwide. Users like @KenyanAbroadUK recounted similar experiences, with one writing, "I've seen sisters come back broken from KSA. Mercy is brave for speaking out—time to boycott these jobs!" News accounts such as @C_NyaKundiH amplified the story, questioning the Kenyan government's oversight of labor export deals with Saudi Arabia. Hashtags #JusticeForMercy and #KenyansInSaudi trended locally, peaking at #3 in Kenya's X trends that evening.

Mercy's account, now verified after the buzz, detailed how she moved to Riyadh two years ago chasing better pay to support her family back home, only to face exploitation under the kafala sponsorship system. "I sent remittances every month, but now I'm stranded with no flight ticket home," she tweeted, prompting pledges from users to crowdfund her return. Kenyan embassy officials in Riyadh responded via X, stating they were "investigating" and urging affected workers to come forward, though critics dismissed it as too little too late.

The incident has reignited broader discussions on X about the double-edged sword of Gulf migration for Kenyans, with over 100,000 in Saudi alone. Positive voices highlighted success stories of nurses who've thrived, but the negatives dominated: threads from @GulfKenyanExposed shared stats on abuse cases, while economists noted remittances from the region hit KSh 50 billion last quarter despite the risks. As Mercy's flight home was secured via M-Pesa donations surpassing KSh 500,000 by midnight, her final tweet—"Grateful for my Kenyan family abroad"—symbolized the solidarity amid the controversy. Kenyan MPs have now promised parliamentary scrutiny, but X users warn little will change without systemic reform.