Preparing to ‘Cope’ with Abuse? Kenya’s Arabian Model House Trains Domestic Workers for the Middle East
The Kenyan government is investing in a state-of-the-art training house to prepare domestic workers for Middle Eastern employment. But is this really about protection, or just a way to normalize the struggles they’ll face abroad? With labor exploitation cases on the rise, critics argue that Kenya is prioritizing exports over its own people, building infrastructure for training instead of negotiating better labor rights. Is this initiative genuinely empowering workers, or is it setting them up for failure in a system stacked against them?
Kenya has launched an Arabian Model House in Mombasa to better prepare domestic workers for jobs in Saudi Arabia and the Middle East. Built in collaboration with the National Industrial Training Authority (NITA), the facility replicates living and working conditions in Gulf countries, aiming to help trainees acclimate before deployment.
This initiative comes amid ongoing reports of abuse, poor working conditions, and labor rights violations faced by Kenyan domestic workers abroad. In 2022 alone, Kenyan authorities reported at least 23 deaths of domestic workers in the Middle East, most of them in Saudi Arabia. These incidents have highlighted the urgent need for pre-departure training and protective measures to safeguard migrant workers.
The training program focuses on helping workers integrate into Middle Eastern households by teaching customs, traditions, and legal rights. Practical training covers household management, caregiving, and other domestic responsibilities to ensure they meet employer expectations. The initiative aligns with the Better Regional Migration Management (BRMM) program, which seeks to improve labor migration governance and worker protections. A monitoring mission in August 2024 confirmed that the facility was near completion, with training sessions set to begin by November.
Despite its intended benefits, the Arabian Model House has faced criticism from labor rights groups and policymakers who argue that it does not address the root causes of worker exploitation in Saudi Arabia and the wider Middle East. Many Kenyan domestic workers operate under the Kafala system, which has been linked to forced labor, wage theft, and restrictions on workers' freedoms. Critics argue that cultural training alone does little to prepare workers for the realities of this system.
Kenya’s labor migration policies have also been criticized for their fragmented implementation, leading to inconsistent enforcement of worker protections. While initiatives like the model house provide pre-departure training, they do not replace the need for a unified policy framework to ensure migrant workers’ rights abroad. Existing bilateral labor agreements between Kenya and Saudi Arabia have been faulted for failing to provide adequate protections, with unclear dispute resolution mechanisms and weak wage safeguards leaving many workers vulnerable. Some experts argue that rather than focusing on training infrastructure, Kenya should renegotiate these agreements to ensure stronger worker protections.
Concerns have also been raised about Kenya’s long-term economic priorities, with critics warning that encouraging labor migration without creating sufficient domestic job opportunities forces many workers to seek employment in Saudi Arabia and the Middle East despite the risks of exploitation. Labor rights advocates emphasize that while training helps prepare workers for life abroad, it does not replace the need for stronger legal protections and enforcement mechanisms to prevent abuse.
Kenya’s Arabian Model House represents a step toward preparing domestic workers for employment in the Middle East, but it may not be enough to address the deeper issues of labor migration. Strengthening policies, improving bilateral agreements with Saudi Arabia, and increasing domestic job opportunities remain critical to ensuring the safety and dignity of Kenyan workers abroad.
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