Mudavadi: Travel to Middle East at your own risk
Prime Cabinet Secretary and Cabinet Secretary for Foreign and Diaspora Affairs Musalia Mudavadi speaks during a press briefing at Kenya Railways Headquarters Nairobi on October 17, 2024.
What you need to know:
- Government has assured Kenyans that it is using all available means to bring back its citizens.
- Foreign Affairs CS Mudavadi told the committee that repatriating Kenyans was very expensive.
The government has urged Kenyans to avoid travelling to Middle Eastern countries amid the ongoing war in Lebanon and Palestine until the situation calms down.
Cabinet Secretary for Foreign Affairs Musalia Mudavadi told the National Assembly's Defence, Intelligence and Foreign Affairs committee chaired by MP Nelson Koech on Thursday.
According to Mr Mudavadi, also the Prime Cabinet Secretary, the situation in Lebanon has deteriorated, affecting nearly 26,000 Kenyans working there.
The CS said the government was aware of the potential for a wider conflict in the Middle East that would affect more Kenyans in the region if calls for a ceasefire by several countries were ignored.
"The government would like to discourage Kenyans from travelling to countries that are experiencing conflict or turmoil... we have asked all Kenyan ambassadors in the region to conduct a swift registration of Kenyans in their jurisdictions," CS Mudavadi said.
As part of the evacuation of Kenyans from the war-torn region, Mr Mudavadi said the government had reunited 30 people with their families back home after they requested to be flown home.
A total of 7,119 Kenyans have registered for the evacuation, with about 35 more expected to be evacuated over the weekend.
"We are expecting the fourth and fifth batch of Kenyans from Lebanon to arrive this weekend."
He said the evacuation process had been slowed by stringent requirements from the Lebanese authorities and limited flight options, with only one airline operating flights to the Lebanese capital, Beirut.
However, the government has assured Kenyans that it is using all available means to bring back its citizens, including by sea and ocean.
"The air space is not safe in this area and the options are very limited... we are also looking at other available options including sea evacuation so that we can get more Kenyans out safely."
Since the fighting between Israel and Hamas in Palestine, and now with Hezbollah in Lebanon, no Kenyan has been reported killed or injured.
Mr Mudavadi also told the committee that repatriating Kenyans was very expensive and asked MPs to support the government in the process.
Principal Secretary for Diaspora Affairs Roseline Njogu said the government is prioritising the welfare of Kenyans even as it continues to negotiate agreements with foreign countries where Kenyans seek employment to ensure that their rights and welfare are taken care of.
"We are committed to the rights and welfare of Kenyans and that is why we are advising them not to go to these places," PS Njogu said.
The committee was also briefed on the rogue recruitment agencies that have been taking advantage of jobless, unsuspecting Kenyans with the intention of extorting money from them by claiming to have opportunities abroad.
The CS told the committee that the government is continuing to streamline the overseas labour market by ensuring that only licensed agencies are listed on the National Employment Authority website.
