Senate Team Wants Kenyans Stranded Abroad Amid Covid-19 Crisis Evacuated for Free
The Senate Ad Hoc Committee on Covid-19 has called for the evacuation of Kenyans in the diaspora who desperately want to return home amid the coronavirus pandemic.
The Nairobi Senator Johnson Sakaja-led committee wants these Kenyans airlifted to the country for free with priority given to students.
On Thursday, May 21st, the team asked Foreign Affairs Cabinet Secretary Raychelle Omamo to table a report detailing the criteria to be used to identify Kenyans abroad who require support to get back home.
Further to this, the Ministry is also required to indicate how it will mobilize resources to facilitate their repatriation.
“The Ministry of Foreign Affairs should set a criterion on the eligibility of Kenyans in the diaspora who are in dire need of coming back home but cannot afford air-tickets, giving priority to students,” the committee recommended.
Foreign Affairs Principal Secretary Amb. Macharia Kamau previously stated the government cannot afford to evacuate all Kenyans stranded abroad.
Kenyans evacuated from various foreign countries including the UK, India, and China on chartered flights organized by the government purchased air tickets from their own pockets.
Senator Sakaja said Kenyans stranded overseas can be brought back for free if the Foreign Affairs Ministry seeks support from the various emergency funds set up to mitigate the effects of Covid-19.
Nearly 1,000 Kenyans who afforded to pay for their travel costs have so far been flown back to the country on Kenya Airways chartered planes.
Comments
Senator Sakaja, even without…
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Senator Sakaja, even without COVID-19, we need a process of assisting willing Kenyans return. They can borrow the US model, which assists, but you still get a bill. If US pays to repatriate, the beneficiary owes the treasury. And if they have assets, the treasury will liquidate to recoup their cost. For Kenya, the KRA could easily sell one of the plots to recoup the repatriation cost.
Kenya government should work…
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Kenya government should work with other African governments to make it easier to bring their citizens home, not just students but all and prepare to build the continent after Covid-19.
African governments should be prepared to bring all who have gained experience abroad to bring their skills and expertise back to the continent as each nation will need its people to build.
Africa needs to regather all her children on the four corners of the earth to win what is coming.
Judgment is at hand and on all nations. Africans need to be together spiritually and we need leaders who will make us speak in one voice!!
Many from the UNITED STATES…
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Many from the UNITED STATES willing to pay their way back home why not arrange for a repatriation flight. Other countries continue to organize for this flights. Please help.
Come on guys, shelter in…
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Come on guys, shelter in place somewhere. No need to travel now, until some normalcy and flights resume. In any case, you traveled there on your own accord.
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