Hundreds of Kenyan nationals stranded in Cambodia have petitioned the High Court in Nairobi, seeking a government order to facilitate their urgent return after alleging they were victims of human trafficking disguised as overseas employment.
The group, in legal filings, stated they were lured to Southeast Asia with promises of legitimate work but were instead confined in a heavily guarded compound with high walls and barbed wire. Movement was strictly controlled, and petitioners described being forced to work punishing hours, sometimes up to 16 hours daily, under intense pressure to meet targets. Some alleged physical abuse and untreated injuries, including stab wounds.
While the specific nature of their work is not detailed in the filings, the petition notes a regional context: Cambodian authorities have recently been dismantling facilities linked to large-scale online fraud networks. The Kenyans’ situation reportedly changed after a local security raid on their compound. Those operating the facility fled, leaving the Kenyans behind without adequate food, medical care, or funds to leave the country. Cambodian authorities have instructed them to exit the country by February 28 or face potential detention.
The court petition directs Kenya’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs and other state agencies to provide immediate consular assistance, issue temporary travel documents, and arrange evacuation flights. The petitioners argue the Kenyan government has a constitutional duty to protect citizens from exploitation, including when they are abroad.
Kenya’s Foreign Ministry confirmed it had not yet been briefed on the case. Cambodian authorities did not respond to requests for comment. The Nairobi High Court is scheduled to consider the petition on Tuesday, as legal representatives frame the situation as a cross-border trafficking crisis requiring coordinated diplomatic intervention. The outcome may set a precedent for state responsibility in protecting migrant workers from fraudulent overseas recruitment.
