Diaspora Affairs Principal Secretary Roseline Njogu on Thursday shared a heartwarming video of Kenyan citizens singing inside a bus after they were rescued from the war-tone Lebanon.
In a video seen by Kenyans.co.ke, the Kenyan citizens broke into a song, possibly from the happiness of being evacuated from the conflict-laden Asian nation.
Njogu, who shared the video on her X account, expressed her joy after the Government of Kenya secured the evacuation of her citizens.
The PS further noted that the group of 43 will touch down at Jomo Kenyatta International Airport (JKIA) in Nairobi tomorrow.
The PS also announced that the government will continue with the evacuation exercise to save Kenyans who were stuck in the Middle East nation.
”Lovely singing by this homebound diaspora in Lebanon! This group of 43 will arrive at JKIA in Nairobi tomorrow morning,’’ Njogu shared.
”The evacuation continues! See you tomorrow ladies! Welcome home, I love this amazing job.”
On November 6, Njogu announced that a separate lot of 21 Kenyans had been received at the JKIA following the government’s sustained efforts to step up its rescue operations.Â
”This morning at 5:30 am we received another 21 evacuees from Lebanon at JKIA. They were happy and thanked the Government for its rescue efforts. Thank you colleagues across the multi-agency team for working with the SDDA to protect the rights of Kenyans abroad,” the PS shared.
The government of Kenya on October 1 embarked on a plan to evacuate the thousands of Kenyans whose plight sparked online pleas to the government with the increased tensions in the Middle East.
Njogu then urged Kenyans to register for evacuation, outlining that the government would only rescue those who had registered.
Initially, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs was faced with many challenges in encouraging Kenyans in Lebanon to apply for evacuation. This was mainly due to the thinking that the tensions would ease.
”We are deeply concerned that many have not yet come forward despite our repeated appeals. Time is running out, and only registered individuals will be eligible for evacuation,” Njogu emphasised.
It is estimated that there are approximately 26,599 Kenyans in Lebanon, many of whom arrived to take up jobs in the domestic and hospitality sectors under an agreement with the Kenya National Chamber of Commerce and Industry.
State Department of Diaspora Affairs, Roseline Njogu during a past engagement on August 7, 2024.
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PS Njogu
