Susan Kalekye from Makueni is crying for justice as she mourns the loss of her mother Purity Nduku Muli who died while in Saudi Arabia in March 2024 where she had traveled in search of greener pastures to support her daughter and provide for their family.
According to Susan, her mother tripped and injured her back a few weeks after reporting to work during the Ramadhan period but resumed work after she took painkillers to relieve her pain.
“She hurt her back and had been in pain. She could still work and carry out chores but was in constant pain. She asked her employer to take her to the hospital to get checked. Since it was around Ramadhan, she was only given painkillers,” Kalekye narrated.
Purity’s situation worsened and after persistence, she was taken to a hospital where she died a few days after being admitted.
Kalekye expressed her anguish, stating that the office that connected her to her boss in Saudi did not inform the family of Purity’s passing and she only learned of her mother’s death from a coworker who had traveled back to Kenya. She has been trying to arrange for the repatriation of her mother’s body but has encountered numerous obstacles, including a lack of communication from the agency that sent purity to Saudi Arabia.
“A lady who worked with her and had returned to Kenya told us my mum had passed away a few days ago. I was so broken that the office did not even bother to break the news to us,” Kalekye narrated.
Kalekye has been tirelessly following up with the Saudi embassy and other authorities to retrieve her mother’s body from the foreign country for burial but to no avail.
“I have tried to reach out to the office that took my mum to Saudi, but they no longer pick up my calls or reply to my messages. I am on the verge of giving up. I do not know who to call or turn to for help,” she said.
