Aasai

In a video, one of the teachers described how they had traveled to Las Anod, Somalia, on September 1, 2024, after securing a teaching contract.

Their troubles began when they requested their visas, return tickets, and unpaid salaries for February.

“We carefully reviewed and agreed to the contract before setting off on our journey. Traveling by road through Kenya and Ethiopia, we finally arrived in Las Anod in the SSC region.

However, upon arrival, we found that the SSC office was not functioning, and we were not provided with visas to legalize our stay,” the teacher explained.They were reassured that the office would soon resume operations and that their visas would be processed accordingly.

The teachers worked without any major issues for most of the year, but in December, the manager who had facilitated their employment was unexpectedly removed. 

A new manager from an institution called Golden Bridge Academy took over, and according to the teachers, the previous manager left after being forcefully dismissed.

The new management allegedly failed to uphold the original contract, prompting the teachers to demand their rights.

“We asked for our visas, which are critical for foreigners working abroad. We also requested our return tickets, as stipulated in our contract, and our outstanding salaries for February,” the teacher said.

The situation worsened when, after making these requests, the teacher claimed that the new manager sent armed men to seize their passports.

“They barged in and forced us to surrender our passports. How can you hand over such an important document to strangers? The manager was right there, instructing them to take our passports by force,” the teacher recounted.

This is not the first time Kenyan citizens have found themselves stranded in Somalia. Earlier this year, a video surfaced online featuring a Kenya Defense Forces (KDF) soldier pleading for government intervention.