Kenyan families struggle to e******e kin from Ukraine
Families of Kenyan students studying in Ukraine are racing against time to airlift them to the country.
Concerns come after the Polish government gave the students fleeing the Russian invasion in Ukraine 15-day visas so that they can make their arrangements to fly out of the country.
This is at it emerged that four Kenyan students had opted to remain in the war torn Eastern European country citing “personal reasons.”
Kwale Women Rep Zuleikha Hassan, who has filed a petition in the National Assembly calling for the evacuation of Kenyan students in Ukraine, told People Daily that families of some of the students had organised fundraisers to enable them buy air tickets for their loved ones to fly back home.
Raise funds
“We are in touch with about 39 Kenyan students who managed to cross over to Poland. Some trekked for many hours to reach the border and were kept for as many as three days at the border point awaiting clearance to be allowed into Poland,” she said.
“The polish government has given them a 15-day visa to enable them make arrangements to fly home,” she added, terming the situation dire.
“A number of those who have managed to cross to neighbouring countries are putting up with sympathetic Kenyans in those countries who have accepted to host them but they still need some money for upkeep. I know scores of families which have been forced to organise fundraisings to buy air tickets for their children fleeing the Russian invasion. Many parents had not anticipated this turn of events, many were expecting to send money for air tickets in December only for the war to erupt,” she further stated.
On Tuesday, the Foreign Affairs ministry disclosed that some 79 Kenyan students have so far left Ukraine following Russia’s invasion.
The statement added that one student had already arrived in Kenya, 74 others were holed up in Poland, two in Romania and another two in Hungary.
There were concerns of racism at the border points and the African Union has urged countries to respect international law and assist all those fleeing from the war.
Racism condemned
And speaking at Karson Institute for Race, Peace and Social Justice at Loyola University in Baltimore on Tuesday, Deputy President William Ruto waded into the conflict in Ukraine, warning against the alleged discrimination of black people, mainly from Africa, during evacuation.
“It is said that injustice anywhere is a threat to justice everywhere. Whatever is happening in Ukraine is a source of concern to all of us…even in a situation of war like in Ukraine you still have people who want to practise racism, who gets rescued first and in a situation of war it is mind-boggling that people can still have the space to practise racism,” said the DP.
Several African nations, including Nigeria, Ghana and Zimbabwe had managed to evacuate their nationals from the war torn nation to safer destinations, it emerged yesterday.
The Zimbabwe government has evacuated 118 students from Ukraine to neighbouring countries, State-owned Herald website reported.
The students have been relocated to Romania (28), Hungary (15), Slovakia (26) and Poland (49).
They will be provided with air tickets to return home, the paper quoted the Information minister, adding that their embassies in Russia and Germany were facilitating the evacuation.
