Reprieve for Kenyans stuck in India, to fly back at a cost – The Informer

Kenyans stranded in India due to the Covid-19 crisis will finally fly back to the country amid Covid-19 restrictions.

This comes after The Informer revealed that the Kenya High Commission in New Delhi is not doing much to accord Kenyan’s stuck in the country the much needed support they need.

In an official Kenya Airways advertisement in India, KQ stated that they will only accept those passengers carrying negative Covid-19 certificate.

“KQ will only accept those passengers who are carrying a negative RT-PCR test report. No exceptions made,” read part of the advert.

However, not most of them will be able to fly back since the cost of the ticket is expensive.

The Kenyan Government suspended all passenger flights travelling to and from India for 14 days, however, the Health Ministry said cargo flights from India will remain in service subject to observation of transport protocols.

However, Kenyan citizens are still stuck in India like homeless and ‘stateless’ people as their yearn to travel back home is being ignored by the government of Kenya.

The Informer learnt that the high commission isn’t doing much in giving Kenyans the support they need including the administration of Covid-19 vaccine and evacuation arrangements.

“… they haven’t even organised to give us the Covid vaccine… Nothing. We are left out here like homeless people… Stateless ‘Kenyans.” Sarah Mosiara told The Informer from India.

In April this year, Kenya High Commission asked all Kenyans to register and provide their full details for easy assistance from the embassy, as well as to ease communication owing to the rapid rise of Covid-19 infections in the country.

According to Bett, it is important for the High Commission to update its register of all Kenyan citizens living in India for accountability and decision making purposes.

“Owing to the deteriorating Covid-19 situation… It is important for the High Commission to update its register of all Kenyan citizens living in India for accountability and decision making purposes. Kenyans in this region are further advised to form WhatsApp groups and intimate such groups to the mission to ease communication in case such need arises,” stated the notice.

Other African countries airlifted all their citizens home at the onset of the dangerous strain; including Uganda, Tanzania, Rwanda.

According to a report, about 300 students from Kenya are still in India and others were infected with Covid-19 during this wave.

As India continues to reel under the unprecedented second wave of the Covid-19 pandemic, the Union Health Ministry yesterday announced a 33 per cent decline in the number of cases in the last one week and a 65 per cent reduction in active cases.

Health Ministry Joint Secretary Luv Aggarwal said that there are 15 states with less than 5 per cent positivity rate.

India’s overall recovery rate has now been increased to 94.3 per cent (both in-home isolation + medical infrastructure), the Health Ministry Joint Secretary said that there has been an overall decrease of 6.3 per cent in the Covid positivity rate from the beginning of June.

In the last 24 hours, 86,498 new Coronavirus cases have been reported in India.