More than 600 Kenyans stranded in Cambodia have turned to the courts, demanding that the government intervene and bring them home before a February 28, 2026, deadline.
Ten petitioners filed an urgent application on behalf of the group, warning that these citizens face immediate arrest, jail time, and further abuse if the state does not step in now.
The petitioners explain that dishonest recruitment agents tricked the Kenyans into leaving the country by promising real jobs in places like Thailand. Instead, once they arrived, traffickers allegedly moved the victims into Cambodia against their will and sold them to human trafficking rings.
Court filings describe how captors confined the group in heavily guarded compounds behind high walls and barbed wire, with armed guards and foreign nationals controlling every move. The petitioners further claim that their captors seized their phones and personal documents, including passports, effectively cutting them off from any way to seek help.
The petition also alleges that the trapped Kenyans endured forced labor under brutal conditions, often working 16-hour days to meet impossible performance targets. A supporting affidavit details systematic abuse within the compound, including harassment, electrocution, and direct threats of violence.
While Cambodian police eventually raided the facility, reportedly forcing the traffickers to flee, the stranded Kenyans now remain behind with no clear path to safety or a way back home.
The petitioners report that the stranded Kenyans are currently taking refuge at a local facility without food, money, or stable housing, pushing them to the brink of despair.
In response to this worsening crisis, the group has launched a major lawsuit against several high-ranking state offices. Through their legal team, they are suing the Ministry of Foreign and Diaspora Affairs, the Ministry of Interior, the Inspector General of Police, the Ministry of Labor, the Directorate of Immigration Services, and the Attorney General. The Kenya National Commission on Human Rights is also involved in the case as an interested party.
Represented by lawyer Danstan Omari, the petitioners are asking for urgent court orders to force the government into immediate diplomatic action. They want the state to verify where the Kenyans are, confirm their identities, and guarantee their safe return. Furthermore, they have requested that the court order the government to file a progress report within 24 hours, detailing exactly what is being done to bring these citizens home safely.
In their application, the petitioners argue that the ordeal violates fundamental constitutional rights, including the right to freedom from torture and cruel, inhuman, or degrading treatment. They contend that the Kenyan government bears a legal obligation to uphold these protections for its citizens, even when they are abroad.