Nov 29, 20213 min read

Read & Download Nelson Muriuki's #VOO Petition For Kadamas That Was Accepted In The Parliament

Listen To The Exclusive Parliament Audio Clip Below

#VOO - VOICES OF THE OPPRESSED

A GOD LED HUMAN RIGHTS MOVEMENT BY THE PEOPLE FOR THE PEOPLE

#VOO KADAMAs & BOYS CHILD PETITION

Written By Nelson Mike Mithamo Muriuki

President & Founder, Voices Of The Expressed

28th November 2021

OVERVIEW

I am Nelson Mike Mithamo Muriuki, President of a movement named “Voices Of The Oppressed” whose acronym is “#VOO”. For 6 years, I have been extremely vocal about the plight facing our Kenyan domestic workers in the Middle East. Below is a sum up of suggestions as expressed on my website https://voicesoftheoppressed.com as well as research on social media platforms mainly Facebook & Tik Tok.

MAIN POINTS

Safety & Protection - All KADAMAS have expressed that they need a conducive working environment where they feel safe.

* A research conducted on my Tik Tok account @voo_tv revealed that out of 182 votes, 32% which is an equivalent of 59 Kadamas expressed that they have been sexually abused at work.

*In another research, out of 697 votes, 42% which is an equivalent of 290 Kadamas expressed they had been abused either physically or emotionally by their employer.

Salary increment - This is paramount! Based on their workload, 900 Saudi Riyals is just too little. The Government must burgain and seek for the Kadama salaries to be increased from 900 Riyals to 1,500 Riyals. The starting salary should be set at 1,250 Riyals, after 6 months of probation, the worker should be paid 1,500 Riyals and after 12 months of successfully working for the same employer, the salary should be set at 1,800-2,000 Riyals.

* On the question of “Are you happy with your salary?”, out of 142 votes, 74% of those questioned, which is an equivalent of 105 workers, expressed they were not satisfied with their salary at all.

Kadamas need one day off a week. This would be perfect for their bodies to rejuvenate new energy. They can also spend this day catching up with their loved ones. I can hereby attest that there are many cases of Kadamas getting sick due to long working hours without rest.
We need regulated working hours for all Kadamas working in Gulf. Like in Europe or here in America where we have an electronic “Clock-In, Clock Out” system, a simplified version of the same can be implemented. The documentation of their working hours could be done manually, submitted to the respective agent and eventually documented in a database. Any extra hours should be accounted for as “overtime”, and compensated extra.
Medical Insurance For All Kadamas - It’s the high time that all Gulf employers realize that “Panadol” is not the cure for every disease. Kadamas have the right to proper medical care in the event of sickness. On the same token, Kadamas must not work when they are sick. This should be accounted for as “sick leave” and submitted to the respective Agency.
Kadamas Human Rights Must Be Respected At All Times - Cases of discrimination are very common in Gulf. Employers who discriminate against Kadamas based on their race, religion, skin color, must be reported to authorities immediately.
We need “Safe Houses” established across the country. These Safe Houses must be run by Kenyans. Kadamas who flee their employers homes due to mistreatment will feel safer seeking refuge in a Safe House under the management of their fellow countrymen and women.
All Employers must abide by the terms and conditions defined in the contract. E.g, if the contract states that a Kadama is assigned to work in a family of “5” people, that condition must be fulfilled. In the event a Kadama is subjected to working conditions contrary to what is stated in the contract, she has every right to refuse working.
Every Kadama has the right to keep her personal documents i.e Passports and Iqamas.
All Kenyans held in Deportation facilities without a case must be released immediately. As stated by the law, any Kenyan held in the deportation centre for more than 3 months has the right to be released within 72 hours thereafter. We demand justice and the immediate release of Peter Karisto also known as “Mwana Wa Mary” who has been held in the deportation camp for more than 6 months without a case.

Conclusion

It’s clear that Kenya is facing an economic crisis. Unemployment is on a record high especially among the Youths. Kenyans are hard working citizens, ready for new challenges and opportunities. Export of Labour to the Gulf countries is one channel of creating opportunities. Nevertheless, let our people not be treated like slaves. We are all equal in the eyes of our maker.