Over 7,000 Kenyans Stranded in Lebanon, Says Kenyan Government

By Samuel Ouma

The Kenyan government has disclosed that more than 7,000 Kenyans are trapped in Lebanon as tensions in the Middle East escalate.

This was confirmed by Prime Cabinet Secretary Musalia Mudavadi in a statement explaining continuing evacuation efforts and the government's measures to protect its inhabitants in the Middle East.

Mudavadi stated that William Ruto's government has successfully evacuated 35 Kenyans from Lebanon through three initial cohorts, with two additional groups of 30 people likely to return home over the weekend.

However, he noted the evacuation process has severe logistical and financial problems, as the government now relies on a single airline for the mission.

"We are exploring opportunities for larger-scale evacuations, but it is expensive. We have only one airline available for this exercise, which complicates the logistics," said Mudavadi.

The Kenyan government is concerned about the war in Lebanon as many of its citizens have been working in the country. In response, Kenya has despatched a multi-agency team, including personnel from the Kenyan embassy in Kuwait, to coordinate evacuation efforts and support the honorary consul in Kuwait.

One of the most significant challenges in the evacuation process is locating Kenyans in Lebanon. Many Kenyans working overseas do not go via regular channels and frequently fail to register with the nearest Kenyan embassy, making it impossible for the government to trace their travels or provide aid in times of crisis.

"This is one of the dilemmas we face. Kenyans go abroad but they do not indicate where they are going, and sometimes we have to fish for them to come forward. Many do not register with our missions as required," Mudavadi lamented.

To solve this, the Kenyan government has directed all embassies in the Middle East to immediately begin a registration procedure to determine the number of Kenyans in their respective countries. This program intends to compile a thorough database of residents in the region and ensure that they receive the required assistance in the event of catastrophes.

Mudavadi urged Kenyans to avoid travelling to nations experiencing violence or political unrest, citing increased Middle Eastern insecurity.

"At this stage, we would like to discourage Kenyans from traveling to conflict zones. It is not a game out there. They should be cautious and avoid going to such areas until the situation calms down," he warned.

Mudavadi further says that the administration is still devoted to protecting its inhabitants and has formed a special monitoring committee to track what is happening in the region.

He said the Treasury has set aside Ksh100 million to support the evacuation and monitoring activities.