Funding shortfall halts evacuations as Kenyans remains stranded in DRC, Lebanon

Hundreds of Kenyans stranded abroad face an uncertain future as the government struggles to secure funds for their evacuation.

The Diaspora Affairs Ministry is requesting Sh120 million to repatriate Kenyans stuck in Thailand, Lebanon, and the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC), but the Treasury has yet to approve the funding.

Nelson Koech, chairperson of the National Assembly’s Defence, Intelligence, and Foreign Affairs Committee, raised the alarm over budget shortfalls that have hampered evacuation efforts.

“The ongoing decline in the State Department budget since it was established has led to significant funding shortfalls, which limit its ability to effectively fulfill its responsibilities,” he told MPS.

The crisis comes at a time when Kenya has been struggling to evacuate citizens from war-torn regions and those caught in human trafficking schemes.

In 2024, the government allocated Sh100 million to help Kenyans escape the Lebanon conflict following Israeli airstrikes on Hezbollah.

Despite a ceasefire agreement in November 2024, thousands of Kenyans in Lebanon remain at risk.

The situation in the DRC is equally dire, with violence intensifying between government forces and M23 rebels. Kenyan citizens, including truck drivers, have been caught in the crossfire.

In February, Diaspora Affairs CS Musalia Mudavadi confirmed that the government was considering evacuating Kenyans from the country after an attack on Kenya’s embassy in Kinshasa.

Meanwhile, in Southeast Asia, 64 Kenyans rescued from human traffickers in Myanmar are stuck at the Thai-Myanmar border.

The victims were freed by a Myanmar insurgent group but have been unable to cross into Thailand since February 12, 2025.

While Kenya has been negotiating with Thai authorities to reopen the border, the process has been slow, leaving the rescued citizens in limbo.

Despite the urgency of these crises, the Treasury has not prioritised additional funding for evacuations in its latest budget.

The Diaspora Affairs Ministry’s budget was reduced from Sh637.83 million to Sh633.7 million, further limiting its ability to respond.

With the National Assembly set to review the Treasury’s request for Sh199 billion in additional funds, it remains unclear whether the plight of Kenyans stranded abroad will receive the attention it desperately needs.

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