Eight Kenyans are being held in Benghazi, Libya, for more than six weeks, as their families demand immediate government action to secure their freedom.
Monica Wanjiru, a Kenyan national employed in Libya, revealed that the workers were apprehended on March 21 while seeking payment for work completed two to three months earlier without compensation.
Cultural and linguistic differences reportedly intensified the conflict, as employers and security officials conducted business exclusively in Arabic, which the Kenyan employees could not comprehend.
“The Kenyan workers experienced a workplace conflict stemming from a language barrier. Security personnel were unable to understand English, while the Kenyans did not understand Arabic. They were requesting payment for labor rendered over a two to three month period without receiving wages,” Wanjiru explained.
She stated that law enforcement officers were summoned to the location, where they assaulted the workers before taking them into custody. The detainees are currently imprisoned at a detention facility in Benghazi.
Those in custody include John Okutoi from Kakamega, Victor Gathua and Paul Njehia from Nakuru, Kenneth Wanjehia and Kevin Riguini from Nyeri, Juma Njira and James Opiyo from Mombasa, and Collins Koech from Kapsabet.
One of the imprisoned individuals mentioned that they had appeared in court, where legal proceedings were initiated against them, accusing them of attacking security staff.
According to family members, the workers traveled to Libya in December 2025, journeying from Kenya via Egypt to Libya. They were reportedly placed in employment positions through agencies operating in Kenya, Uganda, and Dubai.
Relatives of the detained individuals have criticized the absence of support from certain entities, some of which purportedly demanded substantial fees in exchange for assistance.
The families are now requesting swift intervention from the Kenyan government, emphasizing that the men have been deceived and are not guilty of any crimes.
Wanjiru noted that attempts to communicate with the Ministry of Foreign and Diaspora Affairs have not yielded any positive outcomes, leaving the families in a state of uncertainty.
“We have made multiple attempts to contact the Ministry of Foreign and Diaspora Affairs but have received no support, and there is no in Libya. We implore the government to assist in securing the release of the detained Kenyans so they can return to their homeland and their families can find peace,” she requested.