Coast Accredited recruitment agencies have demanded immediate arrest of the person behind an online viral video of a Kenyan Migrant worker allegedly breastfeeding dogs in Saudi Arabia.

They claim the video was edited and infused with misleading content to blackmail recruitment agencies and employers in Saudi Arabia. They now accuse COTU boss Francs Atwoli for propagating lies.

Speaking at a media briefing in Mombasa on Thursday, led by the Kenya Association of private employment Agencies, national chairman Mwalimu Mwaguzo claimed the video was allegedly retrieved from a pornographic site, edited with a voice with misleading content infused in it.

“We want to ask the DCI to investigate and arrest the person behind the edited video of the lady who was captured breastfeeding puppies, the person put a voice to taint the image of that country,” said Mwaguzo.

The Agencies flanked by other organizations like Haki Africa say the message was done in bad faith to taint the image of recruitment Agencies, saying since it circulated online; it has caused anxiety between recruitment Agencies employees, employers and Saudi Government.

 “We can confirm that this photo was retrieved in a pornographic site, and edited to meet a certain agenda, so we want the government to apprehend the person who posted it, and be charged for blackmail,” said Mathia Shipeta,Haki Africa Human rights Rapid Response officer.

Shipeta has condemned the remarks by COTU boss Francis Atwoli when he called on the government to blacklist agencies, saying this has raised a lot of anxiety among agents and employers in Saudi Arabia.

On Sunday, Atwoli said he received a disturbing video from a woman in Saudi Arabia, who alleged that her employer forced her to breastfeed their dogs.

Atwoli urged the government to ban all employment agencies brokering job opportunities in foreign countries.

He said there is a need to protect migrant workers from Kenya and that can be achieved by banning the agencies promoting domestic jobs, especially in Saudi Arabia.

“We took time to research, but we blame Atwoli for the remarks he made, demanding agencies to be blacklisted, his move has raised a lot of anxiety among agents and employers in Saudi Arabia, we should retract his remarks,” said Shipeta.

They have now called on the government to sign the pending bilateral agreements with Saudi Arabia as a measure to reduce cases of mistreatment of Kenyans working in Saudi Arabia.

The Agencies want the government to reign in rogue agencies transporting Kenyans to Saudi Arabia saying they are to blame for the rising violation of rights.

The organizations have vowed to continue agitating for the rights of Kenyans working in the gulf countries.

The organizations say the person who infused the voice in the video should be arrested for misleading and blackmailing genuine recruitment.

The agents say the image of genuine operators has been tainted by a few who operate illegally, therefore making the sector become one of the Entrusted sectors.

"We know there are people who are now colluding with some of us to ruin the sector, we have followed all the regulations required so we will name and shame them," he added.

About 300,000 agents in Kenya have played a part in transportation of Kenyans to Work in the Middle East and other parts of the world. 

According to the agents, revenues from foreign domestic workers pumped into the country stands at 113 Billion annually, and this is as a result of government partnership with Saudi Arabia.