Nine Kenyans strandend in Afghanistan, Government confirms

The Ministry of Foreign Affairs has today confirmed that there are nine Kenyans strandend in Afghanistan and three have been evacuated so far.

In a statement, the Ministry said one, working for the International Development Law Organization (IDLO), arrived back in the country yesterday while two working for Action Contre la Faim (ACF) are expected back to the country tonight at around 9 pm.

According to Foreign Ministry, this information was established through the Kenya High Commission in Islamabad, Pakistan which is the nearest Mission to Afghanistan.

“Through diplomatic channels, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs wrote to the concerned organizations with a clear request to evacuate stranded Kenyans as a matter of urgency,” read part of the statement.

Further, the Ministry communicated to respective foreign Missions in Nairobi where the said organizations originate to urgently intervene to ensure evacuation of the Kenyans to safety.

The Ministry noted that the Government is closely monitoring as events unfold in Afghanistan following the takeover of the capital city Kabul, by the Taliban on 15th, August 2021.

“The safety of Kenyans is of utmost importance to the Government of Kenya,” the statement read in part.

The Government has since directed two other Kenyan Missions in Beijing and Tehran to urgently reach out to the host governments, foreign diplomatic missions, partners, and friends of Kenya for assistance in evacuating any stranded Kenyans to safety because Kenya has no diplomatic presence in Afghanistan nor accreditation to Afghanistan.

The international organizations the twelve Kenyans work for include: Swedish Committee (2), Supreme Audit Office (World Bank) (2), International Rescue Committee (1), International Development Law Organization (IDLO) (1), Danish Committee for Aid to Afghanistan Refugees (1), MEDAIR (1), Action Contre la Faim (ACF) (2), Handicap International (HI) (1) and Intersos (1).

Earlier in the week, Foreign Affairs Principal Secretary Amb Macharia Kamau told local media that Kenyans working in Afghanistan will be evacuated by employers.

The Taliban swept into Afghanistan’s capital on Sunday after the government collapsed and the embattled President Ashraf Ghani joined an exodus of his fellow citizens and foreigners, signaling the end of a costly two-decade U.S. campaign to remake the country.

Hundreds of people poured onto the Kabul’s international airport, desperately seeking a route out of Afghanistan.