This archive report was first published on 19 June 2020.
On June 14, 2020, Rahab Njeri Wachira, a Kenyan woman, died in a hospital in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia. Her death sparked outrage among Kenyans working in Saudi Arabia, who accused the Kenyan Embassy of being responsible.
According to a video posted online, a group of Kenyans demanded the dismissal of officials at the Kenyan Embassy in Riyadh, claiming that an official had declined to sign a letter that would have allowed Njeri to be admitted to a hospital for medication.
However, in a statement on Thursday, the Kenyan Foreign Affairs Ministry denied these claims, terming them as false and malicious.
The ministry stated that Njeri died in hospital on June 14, 2020, and not while seeking assistance at the Embassy. They also noted that she was given all the necessary assistance by the mission despite her irregular status, lack of medical insurance, and other relevant documents.
“Rahab was a run-away domestic worker and therefore had no medical insurance, no residency permit as well as other relevant documentation. An individual of such an irregular status would normally not get hospital admission and medical treatment, amongst other services in Saudi Arabia,” the ministry added.
