• John Tindo appeals for government support to help airlift body to Kenya for burial.
• The man said the only communication he has regarding the matter is that the body of his second-born daughter will be airlifted once a flight is booked.
Image: COURTESY
A man in Elburgon is appealing to the government to help airlift the body of his daughter who died in Saudi Arabia in June.
Alice Tindo, 30, reportedly died in her sleep on June 15. The body was due for a postmortem to establish the cause of death.
"I received a call from an agent called Irene who told me that my daughter had died and was taken to the morgue. Until today, I do not know the results of the postmortem or the date when she will be brought back home," John Tindo told the Star on Friday.
The man said the only communication he has regarding the matter is that the body of his second-born daughter will be airlifted once a flight is booked.
He however expressed pessimism, saying the agent has been dodgy ever since she broke the news of his daughter's death.
"Yesterday (August 21, 2020), she called my wife and told her that the only thing left is to book a flight to airlift Alice’s body home. However, when my wife told her to call me and inform me of the same, she did not do that,” John said.
Calls to the agent have gone unanswered despite her initially promising to call back.
Image: COURTESY
Alice left Kenya in February 2020 during which she spoke with the father while boarding her flight at the Jomo Kenyatta International Airport.
John is now a distraught man unsure of what the future holds for Alice's children.
“During the time she was there, she did not even send a single cent. Now that she is gone, it means additional responsibilities to cater for my two grandchildren plus 11 other children that I look after,” John said.
The man is jobless.
Alice is survived by two children - a Form 1 student and another in Standard 7.
John's immediate concern is to receive his daughter's body so that he can bury her and find closure to the tragedy.
“The agent was talking of compensating us with part of the money that Alice had worked for. I don’t know what that means but for me what would give me peace is for Alice to be airlifted so that I can give her a befitting sendoff.”
Muslims for Human Rights rapid response officer Francis Auma said Alice's death is just a tip of the iceberg. He said more Kenyans continue to suffer in the Gulf countries especially during this Covid-19 period.
“Muhuri has recorded 10 cases of mistreatment in the month of August alone including the case of Alice’s death in Saudi Arabia,” Auma said.
He the recruitment of Kenyans by unscrupulous agencies continues unabated despite the formation of the National Employment Agency.
“Many domestic workers are recruited in rural villages where governmental control over such matters is minimal. These agencies convince parents and even give them money and gifts so that they can allow their girls to be taken to the Gulf,” Auma said.
Edited by P.O