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Kenya has opened the newly established Consulate General in Jeddah, Saudi Arabia.

The Consulate General, opened by Foreign Affairs PS Korir Sing’oei on Monday, will act as Kenya’s second diplomatic office in Saudi Arabia following the embassy in Riyadh.

Aden Mohamed was named consul-general in the contemporary business center located in the western part of the Kingdom.

Although the government has presented the action as part of President William Ruto’s plan to increase Kenya’s global diplomatic presence, it occurs amid rising public worries about the conditions of domestic workers and instances of human trafficking to Gulf countries, particularly Saudi Arabia.

The embassy is anticipated to enhance the quality of services provided, consular support, and interaction with Kenyan citizens residing and employed, especially in Mecca, Medina, and Jeddah.

Mohamed will also collaborate closely with the embassy in Riyadh and the Ministry of Labour to monitor recruitment agencies, address welfare complaints, and coordinate with Saudi authorities regarding repatriations, legal support, and conflict resolution.

For many years, accounts of mistreatment, abuse, and even fatalities among Kenyan domestic workers in Saudi Arabia have caused public anger within Kenya.

Activists and legislators have consistently urged for enhanced safeguards and improved monitoring of labor recruitment agencies.

The Departmental Committee on Defence, Intelligence, and Foreign Affairs within the National Assembly had, in a report from August 2023, urged the acceleration of setting up the consulate.

A report from an inspection of embassies in Saudi Arabia and Kuwait mentioned that the distance between Riyadh and Jeddah is approximately 1,000km, making it impractical to serve that important region through Riyadh.

The report also recommended an assessment of the personnel structure at the embassy in Riyadh, suggesting the appointment of more Immigration attachés to manage the significant number of Kenyans visiting or residing in the country.

It also suggested assigning more labor attachés to manage the large existing workforce as well as those anticipated to arrive in the country following the completion of ongoing Memorandums of Understanding.

This reflected a previous parliamentary report submitted in November 2021.

The Senate Committee on Labour and Social Welfare—under the leadership of Johnson Sakaja—found that Kenyan domestic workers lack consular support to safeguard their rights, largely because of their large numbers and the remoteness from Jeddah.

“Traveling from Riyadh to Jeddah spans thousands of kilometers. Therefore, we have stated that we need additional labor attachés and officers in both Jeddah and Riyadh,” Sakaja mentioned at that time.

The consulate will also assist in arranging pilgrimage-related matters for Kenyan Muslims, as the mosques in Makkah and Madinah lie along that path.

Official statistics indicate that thousands of Kenyan citizens, primarily young women, travel each year to Saudi Arabia and other Gulf nations in search of jobs as household staff, enticed by the prospect of higher wages.

Nevertheless, numerous individuals have ended up in harmful work environments, where they have few legal options or consular support.

Kenya has more than 151,000 registered migrant workers in Saudi Arabia, primarily domestic employees, with certain estimates suggesting the number could be as high as 200,000.

Starting from 2019, a minimum of 234 Kenyans have been officially sent back from overseas exploitation, with 23 reportedly coming from Saudi Arabia.

A 2025 report from Amnesty International outlines the experiences of Kenyan domestic workers in Saudi Arabia, including misleading hiring practices, seized documents, unpaid work, and severe isolation.

Similarly, the 2025 Trafficking in Persons Report: Kenya highlights that traffickers in the Middle East, particularly in Saudi Arabia and Lebanon, still take advantage of Kenyan women employed in domestic work, frequently exposing them to significant physical and psychological mistreatment.

The Ministry of Labour, led by then CS Florence Bore, stated in August 2023 that Kenya had over 175 national deaths in Saudi Arabia between 2020 and 2022, with many being domestic workers.

Sing’oei stated that the new mission aligns with the nation’s updated Kenya Foreign Policy and its dedication to improving services for citizens overseas.

“The Consulate General will support the efforts of the Kenya Embassy in Riyadh by providing services to the western part of Saudi Arabia, especially for the thousands of Kenyan citizens residing and working in Jeddah, Makkah, Madinah, and nearby regions, while also enhancing bilateral cooperation and opening up new partnership opportunities aligned with Saudi Vision 2030 and Kenya’s Vision 2030 development plan,” he stated.

Kenya’s updated 2024–2027 Strategic Plan for the Jeddah Consulate was also unveiled.

The strategy details major objectives, such as advancing Kenya’s economic priorities, enhancing participation from the diaspora, and managing support programs for Kenyans facing difficulties.