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Foreign Affairs Cabinet Secretary Raychelle Omamo says the government cannot afford to evacuate all Kenyans seeking to return home from abroad in the wake of the Covid-19 pandemic.
Omamo, in an interview with KBC on Friday, said the government can only arrange for a flight to fly back those stuck in foreign countries but at their own cost.
“We want to meet those that are in distress within the limits of our resources and to try and find solutions that go beyond evacuations.”
“We have to be reasonable, we have to think with our heads and not with our hearts. If we start evacuating people free of charge, others will start demanding the same thing,” noted Omamo.
While responding to calls by Kenyans at home and abroad to evacuate citizens stranded in China for free, Omamo said doing so would be like opening a can of worms.
“It is not feasible or sustainable for our country to pay for people to be evacuated from various destinations. Consider for example we have over 100,000 Kenyans in the Middle East, we have almost a million in America, we have thousands in Europe, we have Kenyans in Australia, we have them in Latin America, we have them all over Africa.”
“If we were to say that we were able to repatriate everyone free of charge it would be impossible for us to sustain,” she added.
She, at the same time, defended the government against claims that it has treated Kenyans in the diaspora with contempt.
“With regard to the diaspora, I want to say as the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, we have your interest at heart. We are trying to do our very best to try and meet you at the point of your need,” she said.
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Who told her that everyone is trying to relocate back to Kenya?
Lies, Omamo we are not fools.
These KENYANS sends BILLIONS of shillings every year. Kenyans pay taxes for your government to take cares of his people.
We Chinese know how to treat our PEOPLE.
Be smart like us.
This is the same woman who allowed a plane full of Chinese with Corona to land in JKL. Those inside were never quarantined. Yes of course she must have pocketed a lot of $$$ from that deal that's why she is asking Kenyans to use their heads not their hearts while she uses her pocket to think. Her father was an a$$ kisser of Moi and since she is Uhuru's in law, she can get away with anything.
Our interest at heart my foot!!!!
If you can use 1B a day for Covd-19, what are you telling us. Not everyone wants to come home and be quarantined for days on end. You need to rescue those in distress in China and other hostile territories.
We are only asking for you to evacuate the people in China. Stop fooling us. Most diasporians are better off where they are than in Kenya and do not need your help
The Kenya government allowed 239 Chinese into country; these Chinese (Moabites) were not quarantined. You are treating Chinese( foreigners) better than the rightful owners of the land of Kenya.
Kenya and Africa rightful inheritance comes from God and is for the black man. The world is waiting for a new world order; some are waiting for the colonizers new world order and others are waiting for what is done in heaven to be done on earth (God's order). With all due respect Omamo do the right thing and bring all Kenyans in distress from China back to Kenya with as little pain as possible. Everyone is being restored to their rightful God given inheritance. Let us watch God's Masterplan unfold!!
Omamo - it does not take much to become a secretary of something these days.
You should not open your mouth with false information if you do not have anything constructive to say. You are no different from those devil lying politicians you hang around.
Well, I do not think that Kenyans in the US, Australia or UK are asking to be picked up. It is Kenyans in UAE, middle East and China that need help.
Hatujazaliwa jana Ms. Omamo.