Several Kenyans repatriated from South Africa have recounted the fear and anxiety they experienced amid escalating anti-migrant protests.
Speaking upon arrival in Kenya on Thursday, July 2, the returnees thanked the Kenyan government and the country’s mission in Pretoria for facilitating their evacuation and ensuring their safe return.
One of the returnees, Baileon Wambogo, said the repatriation exercise was well coordinated through the Kenyan High Commission in Pretoria and consular officials.
According to Wambogo, some migrants lost their jobs, and businesses were destroyed during the protests.
“I have been affected because I have to leave my job, from a very nice company,” he narrated.
The returnee also urged foreign investors to consider Kenya as an investment destination, arguing that the country offers a peaceful environment that can create employment opportunities for young people.
Kenyans Flee South Africa Amid Anti-Migrant Protests
Another repatriated Kenyan, Anthony Gathura, said he relocated to Johannesburg last year in search of better economic opportunities but was forced to return after the deteriorating security situation made it impossible to continue working.
He said although he was disappointed to leave behind the life he had hoped to build, he was grateful to have returned home safely.
A third returnee, Ali, also expressed gratitude to the Kenyan government and embassy officials for assisting him throughout the evacuation process.
Ali said his shop was destroyed, his phone stolen, and several of his teeth were broken during the violence, but he thanked God for bringing him home safely.
“They destroyed my shop, stole my phone, and broke my teeth, but I thank God that I made it back home safely,” he narrated.
Also Read: Kenya Starts Evacuating Citizens from South Africa, Issues Urgent Advisory
Kenyans Who Have Returned Home
The Ministry of Foreign Affairs has since received 64 Kenyans who were evacuated from South Africa at the Jomo Kenyatta International Airport.
The latest returnees included young children, vulnerable individuals, and other Kenyans who opted to return home, following an earlier batch of 26 Kenyans who arrived on Tuesday morning.
According to the State Department for Diaspora Affairs, more than 200 Kenyans have expressed interest in returning home.
Also Read: Why Blaming Migrants Won’t Fix South Africa’s Economic Crisis
“In terms of travel documentation, anybody who didn’t have their passport or whose passport had expired and needed documentation, at the Kenya High Commission in Pretoria we have prepared what is called an emergency travel certificate to allow people to come back home,” said Diaspora Affairs Principal Secretary Roseline Njogu.
In South Africa, authorities arrested more than 900 people during nationwide anti-migrant protests on Tuesday as calls for undocumented immigrants to leave the country intensified.
Police said 108 of the 120 demonstrations remained peaceful, while officers responded to violence at 12 protest sites where looting, public disorder and attacks on businesses were reported.
Organizers of the anti-migrant protests in South Africa say they will expand the demonstrations, with plans for sustained protests in major economic hubs.
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