Kivunguru Village, Embu County – The family of Jackline Gatwiri, a 28-year-old woman from Kivunguru village, is desperately searching for answers nine months after she last made contact from Iraq.
Jackline had traveled to the Middle East in pursuit of better job opportunities, hoping to support her family back home.
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Her relatives recall that their final communication with her came in September last year. Since then, all attempts to reach her have failed.
The family fears for her safety and well-being and is now appealing to both the Kenyan government and international agencies to help trace her whereabouts.
“We are living in agony every day. We don’t know if she’s safe, if she’s alive. We just want to hear her voice or know what happened,” said her mother, visibly distressed.
Jackline had previously worked in Qatar and Saudi Arabia without incident, according to her mother, Margaret Gatavi.
Encouraged by her earlier experiences abroad, she accepted another job opportunity in Iraq, hoping to continue supporting her family back home.
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“We used to speak regularly. Then suddenly, the calls stopped. It’s been nine months of silence, and we’re living in fear not knowing where she is or what happened to her,” said Margaret, holding back tears.
In what would become one of her last communications, Jackline reported mounting difficulties with her employer after her salary was abruptly reduced.
She expressed distress and uncertainty about her working conditions. After that, communication became sporadic — then stopped completely.
Cases of Kenyan domestic workers going missing or facing abuse in the Middle East have been reported in the past, raising concerns over the safety of migrant workers. Jackline’s case adds to a growing list of families seeking accountability and action.
The family is calling on the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and the Kenyan Embassy in Iraq to intervene and assist in locating Jackline. They also urge recruitment agencies to take responsibility for the welfare of workers they deploy overseas.
Anyone with information on Jackline Gatwiri’s whereabouts is urged to come forward and assist in the search.
