A Kenyan family is appealing for the government’s help to repatriate the body of their
daughter who died in Saudi Arabia last month. Sharon Andeka, 27, from Shinyalu,
Kakamega County, passed away on December 30th while undergoing treatment at
Shemesiy Hospital in the Saudi capital Riyadh.
Sharon moved to Saudi Arabia in March of last year to work as a house help, with the
hope of raising enough money for her ailing daughter aged three and a half years to
undergo specialized treatment.
However, a few months later, she started complaining of chest-related complications
and was admitted to the hospital. Her mother, Beatrice Khamati, shared that she last
heard from Sharon around November last year when she requested for her family to
pray for her as she was seriously ill.
The family received the devastating news of Sharon’s death from her friends on January
3rd. Despite efforts to get help from the Ministry of Foreign and Diaspora Affairs and
the agency that facilitated Sharon’s migration to Saudi Arabia, the family has not
received any assistance. They have been informed that they will need between
Sh300,000 and Sh500,000 to fly her body back home, an amount they cannot afford.
The family is now appealing to the national government and the County Government of
Kakamega to help bring back Sharon’s body as they are financially unable to do so
themselves.
Nile Treasure Gate, the agency that secured Sharon a job, has written to the National
Employment Authority and the Foreign Affairs Ministry on January 3rd notifying them
of her death.
However, the agency has clarified that Sharon escaped from her employer’s house four
months ago and the matter was reported to her family in Kenya. This tragic incident
highlights the need for proper support and assistance for Kenyans working abroad,
particularly in cases of illness or death.
