Kenyan Nurse in Saudi Arabia Shares Viral Warning on Exploitation After Escaping Abusive Employer

Country: Saudi Arabia
Date Published: November 27, 2025

A Kenyan nurse working in Saudi Arabia has sparked widespread discussion on X after posting a harrowing thread detailing her escape from an exploitative employer, highlighting ongoing concerns about labor abuses faced by Kenyan migrants in the Gulf region. The post, shared by verified user @MercyNurseKE—a nurse with over 50,000 followers—on November 27, 2025, quickly went viral, amassing over 10,000 retweets and thousands of replies within hours. Mercy described being promised a salaried position with housing but instead faced unpaid wages, confiscation of her passport, and verbal abuse, echoing stories shared by other Kenyans in similar predicaments.

In her detailed thread, which included screenshots of her contract and messages from her employer, Mercy recounted arriving in Riyadh three months prior on a work visa sponsored through a recruitment agency in Nairobi. "They took my passport day one, paid half salary, and when I complained, they threatened deportation," she wrote, prompting a flood of responses from diaspora Kenyans. Users like @DiasporaWatchKE, a popular account tracking migrant issues, reposted the thread with commentary: "This is why we need better vetting of Gulf jobs. Too many Kenyans suffering in silence." The discussion gained traction amid recent trending topics on #KenyansInSaudi, where similar complaints about kafala sponsorship system abuses have surged in the past week.

The story drew mixed reactions, with positive support from fellow nurses abroad praising Mercy's bravery—"You just saved lives by speaking out," tweeted influencer @DrWanjikuAbroad, a Kenyan physician in the UAE—while others criticized recruitment agencies back home. News accounts such as @StandardKenya and @NationAfrica amplified the thread, linking it to broader government warnings issued last month about risky overseas jobs. One reply from a regular user @JohoFan254 read, "Government should ban these agencies until reforms," fueling debates on policy failures.

Mercy's escape involved confiding in a sympathetic Saudi colleague who helped her contact the Kenyan embassy, leading to her release and flight back to Nairobi on November 25. She ended her thread with advice for job seekers: "Research, don't trust promises, and have an exit plan." The conversation has reignited calls for diplomatic intervention, with over 500 replies tagging @MFAKenya, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs account, demanding action. As discussions continue to trend, it underscores the precarious realities for thousands of Kenyans abroad chasing better opportunities amid persistent exploitation risks.