- She left the country in 2021 August and was expected to return home next year upon the end of her contract.
- Her brother told the Star her sister was badly mistreated bosses.
A family at Misemwa village in Kiminini subcounty, Trans Nzoia is in agony after the death of their 22-year-old daughter in Saudi Arabia.
Stella Nafula Wekesa died on Thursday barely two hours after speaking with her brother, Joseph Wafula.
In the conversation, Nafula is heard telling her brother that she is in hospital and is not aware of what is killing her.
"Haki, I am dying in hospital. They have [conducted medical] checks on me, but they did not spot any problem. Bro, I don’t know what is killing me, bye bro."
Those were the last words from Nafula before the family received the sad news of her death.
Nafula left the country in August 2021 and was expected to return home next year upon the end of her contract.
According to the family, she worked as a house help before she developed health complications in November last year and has been in and out of hospital.
Her 59-year-old mother, Mary Nabangala,confirmed to the Star at her home that her daughter died on February 10 two hours after talking to her brother where she expressed disappointment after her employer refused to take her to hospital.
The family said a medical report from Saketa Hospital in Saudi Arabia showed Nafula succumbed to a cardiopulmonary arrest.
Nabangala, whose husband died in 2000, said the family is in pain since they received the news of Nafula's death.
Wafula said her sister was mistreated by her first bosses only to be handed her over to another cruel employer who even refused to take her for medical check-up.
"Days after arrival in Najran city where she had gone to work, my sister sent me a disturbing WhatsApp audio clip asking me to intervene and ask the Kenya government to help her come back home," Wafula said.
Nabangala said the family is devastated by the death and their greatest burden is how to raise money to bring her body back home.
Johnston Wanyama, the deceased’s uncle, asked President Uhuru Kenyatta, Trans Nzoia Governor Patrick Khaemba, Kiminini MP Chris Wamalwa and other local leaders to intervene and bring their daughter’s remains home for burial.
Kiminini parliamentary aspirant Maurice Bisau said the government should create enough jobs in the country to avoid scenarios where young people like Nafula seek employment abroad only to die in unclear circumstances.
(edited by Amol Awuor)