Central Organization of Trade Unions (COTU) Secretary General Francis Atwoli has encouraged the government to ban all business organizations brokering job opportunities in foreign countries.

Atwoli’s comments come after he got video of a Kenyan lady breastfeeding a puppy in Saudi Arabia.

He said there is need to safeguard migrant laborers from Kenya and that can be accomplished by prohibiting the agencies promoting domestic jobs, particularly in Saudi Arabia.

“I want to appeal to our government to go the way the first government of President Mwai Kibaki under Phyllis Kandie as the Minister of Labor did. She banned all employment agencies in Kenya,” he said.

Atwoli spoke to the media on Sunday at his Kajiado home.

He added that the government should also negotiate with the government of Saudi Arabia on terms and conditions of service, be it in Qatar or anywhere in the Middle East.

“This is so that our people living in this country can do decent jobs,” he said.

On the woman who was filmed breastfeeding a dog, Atwoli said she left Kenya two months after giving birth.

“When they realised that she can breastfeed, the employer instead of giving her a proper job, he gave this girl the job of breastfeeding his puppies,” Atwoli said.

“This is indirect slavery. It denies us our own citizenship as Kenyans who are from a free, independent and democratic country. A country that creates employment for its people,” he said.

“I want to appeal to the government of H.E President William Ruto to ban all employment agencies and review issues related to outside employment of this country, as it has always been advocated for by the International Labor Organization,” Atwoli reiterated.

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