The Central Organisation of Trade Unions (Cotu) has urged the Kenyan government to ban employment agencies in the country from sending migrant workers to Saudi Arabia.

Their request comes after a viral video appeared to show a Kenyan woman breastfeeding dogs in the Gulf country.

The authenticity of the video is yet to be verified.

But speaking to reporters on Sunday, Cotu Secretary-General Francis Atwoli said the woman, who had left a two-month-old baby in Kenya, was compelled by her employer to breastfeed the puppies.

"I want to appeal to the administration to go the way the first government under former President Mwai Kibaki did. He banned all employment agencies in Kenya," Mr Atwoli said.

COTU boss Atwoli speaks after Kenyan records herself while "breastfeeding dogs in Saudi Arabia", wants employment agencies banned in Kenya. #NTVatOne pic.twitter.com/r9sgcVvH7i

— NTV Kenya (@ntvkenya) October 9, 2022

The union leader asked President William Ruto to stop the "indirect slavery" of Kenyan migrants and negotiate for their welfare with the gulf countries.

High unemployment rates in Kenya has prompted young people to migrate to gulf countries in search of jobs as domestic workers and labourers.

Many migrants have reported mistreatment in the Middle East and most recently in Myanmar, Laos and Cambodia.