Please Rescue Us, Kenyans Stuck in Wuhan City Ask Government

Kenyan students stuck in China’s Wuhan city, the epicenter of the coronavirus outbreak, have pleaded with the government to evacuate them from there.

In a letter addressed to the outgoing Health Cabinet Secretary Sicily Kariuki, Kenyan Students in Wuhan Association (KENSWA), said the situation has worsened and wants the government to bring them back home.

The association’s officials add that their members can no longer “keep calm”, leading to psychological distress. They further say that their families back home are too in a state of confusion.

In the letter dated February 5th, 2020, the students also state that they are slowly running out of basic supplies. They noted that they are ready to undergo the stipulated health checks as well as the strict 14-day quarantine back home.

“We wish to state that under the guidance of your Ministry of Health, we are very ready and prepared to undergo all the stipulated health tests and checks including the 14 days strict quarantine in Kenya,” the letter signed by KENSWA chairperson David Melly and other officials state.

There are about 85 Kenyan students stuck in the Wuhan city, which is currently under lockdown to mitigate the virus that is fast spreading.

On Tuesday, Kenya’s Ministry of Health said plans were underway to repatriate Kenyans stuck in Wuhan. It, however, indicated that the evacuation will only happen once China lifts the lockdown imposed on the city.

The deadly virus has killed 490 people, and infected 24,324 people in China, according to the New York Times.