48 Kenyans stranded in Myanmar finally return home as 77 await repatriation
Authorities from Thailand, China and Myanmar had earlier dismantled scam centres along the border where thousands of foreigners had been trapped in forced labour.
Forty-eight Kenyans who were stranded in Myanmar have finally returned home after being rescued by the government.
The group landed at Jomo Kenyatta International Airport (JKIA) at 6 am on Saturday aboard a Kenya Airways flight and was received by a multi-agency team led by the Ministry of Foreign Affairs.
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Upon arrival, the returnees were taken through medical and security checks before being allowed to reunite with their families.
Authorities confirmed that some of them were in poor condition.
Kenyan Ambassador to Thailand Lindsay Kiptiness said embassy officials in Thailand received the rescued Kenyans at Friendship Bridge 2 on the Thailand-Myanmar border on Friday morning.
From there, they were transported to Bangkok before boarding the flight to Nairobi.
Meanwhile, 77 more Kenyans remain stranded in Myanmar, waiting for repatriation.
Many of them are at KK Park near the border with Thailand where conditions are worsening by the day. They have pleaded with the government to speed up their return, fearing for their safety and well-being.
The Kenyan embassy is said to have received another verified list of 36 Kenyans who are waiting for authorisation from Myanmar and Thailand to cross the border. However, 77 others have yet to begin the process, and uncertainty remains over when they will leave.
Authorities from Thailand, China and Myanmar had earlier dismantled scam centres along the border where thousands of foreigners had been trapped in forced labour.
However, the repatriation process remains complicated, especially for individuals from countries without embassies in Thailand.
As efforts to bring back the remaining Kenyans continue, those who have returned are expected to undergo further debriefing before reintegrating into their communities.
Last month, the Ministry of Labour told the National Assembly that 44 Kenyans had sought help from the Kenyan Embassy in Thailand, but bringing them home remains a challenge due to budget cuts.
According to the ministry, it needs Sh80 million to implement the Kenya Anti-Trafficking in Persons Act and support repatriation efforts.
However, the 2025-2026 financial year budget has allocated only Sh20 million, leaving a deficit of Sh60 million.
Last year, Prime Cabinet Secretary Musalia Mudavadi informed the Senate that the government had allocated Sh100 million to evacuate Kenyans wishing to return home. At the time, an estimated 26,000 Kenyans were in the Middle East, with 7,119 registering for evacuation.
In August 2024, the government announced that 75 victims of human trafficking had been repatriated, including 10 Ugandans and one Burundian.
Many of those rescued reported being subjected to long hours of unpaid labour. Most victims of trafficking were women under 35.
With limited funds, the fate of the remaining 44 Kenyans in Myanmar and Thailand now hangs in the balance as the government struggles to secure the necessary resources for their return.
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