- Officials said in 2019, three deaths were reported to the Kenyan embassy rising to 48 in 2020, and 41 so far this year.
- Distress cases rose from 88 in 2019/20 and 1,025 in 2020/21.
Police say they rescued 18 victims of human trafficking from a house in Athi River, Machakos County.
According to the police, the 18 were en route to a destination in the Gulf where they were to be sold as slaves.
Detectives raided a house where the men and women were held waiting to be facilitated to the Middle East on Tuesday and rescued them.
The raid conducted by detectives from the Transnational Organized Crimes Unit saw three suspects arrested.
The incident comes in the wake of increased cases of mistreatment of migrant workers in the Gulf.
The latest victim was flown back to Kenya from Saudi Arabia on Monday after she claimed she had been tortured by her employers.
Diana Chepkemoi was picked up from her employer's house by an Ambulance, rushed to a top-level hospital (Shamesi) in Riyadh for a checkup, discharged and referred to a specialised hospital for further diagnosis and given a clean bill of health.
Chepkemoi, a student at Meru University from Bomet County, had deferred her studies for lack of school fees and travelled to Saudi Arabia to work as a house help.
She reportedly faced harassment and intimidation from her boss until her family finally convinced the government to help them bring her back home.
Meanwhile, job seekers have been urged to be wary of unscrupulous employment agents who are not recognized by the government but end up sneaking out immigrants without proper documentation.
The Ministry of Foreign Affairs had last year recommended a temporary ban on the recruitment and export of domestic workers to Saudi Arabia until adequate protection measures are put in place.
Since a parliamentary committee visit in 2019 to Saudi Arabia, the situation had drastically worsened with increased death and distress cases.
Officials said in 2019, three deaths were reported to the Kenyan embassy rising to 48 in 2020, and 41 so far this year.
Distress cases rose from 88 in 2019/20 and 1,025 in 2020/21.