Kenyan Woman Stranded in Lebanon after Employer Throws Her Out Without Pay, Seeks Help
- Irene Wanjiru Muthoni, a Kenyan domestic worker in Lebanon, is appealing for help after her employer threw her out
- Her husband Ambrose Atandi, told TUKO.co.ke that she had previously worked for the family for two years and returned at their request, not through an agency
- After returning, she reported being mistreated and denied medical care before being thrown out without her passport
- He called on the Kenyan government for assistance to bring Wanjiru back home, noting that she is sick and in distress
Education is Your Right! Don’t Let Social Norms Hold You Back. Learn Online with TUKO. Enroll Now!
A Kenyan woman stranded in Lebanon is desperately seeking help to return home after her employer threw her out.
Source: UGC
Irene Wanjiru Muthoni was allegedly deceived by her employer, who confiscated her passport and refused to pay her salary.
Speaking to TUKO.co.ke, Wanjiru’s husband Ambrose Atandi explained that she had initially travelled to Lebanon for work through an agent.
He said that she worked for two years and returned safely to Kenya in January this year.
Why did Irene Wanjiru return to Lebanon?
However, she later travelled back to Lebanon, not through the agency, but at the direct request of the family she had previously worked for.
“Her employer called her when she was back home, asking her to return because they hadn't found someone to replace her. She agreed, hoping to work for at least another year,” Atandi said.
After returning to Lebanon in February, Wanjiru began complaining that her employer’s behaviour had changed and that she was being treated more harshly than before.
She said her boss switched off the Wi-Fi, refused to take her to the hospital when she fell ill, and forced her to continue working despite her condition.
To make matters worse, the Lebanese employer refused to pay her salary and, on some occasions gave her half the pay.
“She asked for her money, but the boss said they wouldn’t pay her, without giving any reason. She called me saying she was tired and wanted to return to Kenya as the situation was getting worse,” he shared.
Why did Irene Wanjiru's employer send her packing?
When she requested that her employer purchase a ticket for her to return home, they agreed and even asked her to pack her belongings.
They told her to step outside the house under the pretext of taking her to the airport—but once she did, they locked her out.
“They didn’t give her the salary or return her passport, and simply left her outside, despite her being unwell. A good Samaritan drove by and took her to the police station, where she reported the matter,” explained the worried husband.
According to Atandi, the police tried contacting her employer, but their calls went unanswered.
As a result, the officers took her to the Kenyan embassy in Beirut, where she is currently being held while awaiting an official letter that would allow her to travel back to Kenya without a passport.
“The letter may take up to two months or more because of the lengthy process involved,” he added.
The devastated husband has appealed to the Kenyan government to intervene and help bring his wife back home.
Source: UGC
Did Meru woman stranded in Lebanon return to Kenya?
Previously, TUKO.co.ke reported that a family in Meru sought help to bring back their kin, Judith Gatwiri, who had been jailed in Lebanon by her employer.
Josephine Gatwiri, her sister, shared their predicament online, catching the attention of two kind men.
The well-wishers, identified as Kaibonga and Steven Kaloo, reached out to Judith’s family and paid for her ticket back home.
Source: TUKO.co.ke
