60 more Kenyans evacuated from South Africa arrive back home

Many arrived empty-handed after abandoning their businesses and investments built over years. Others were forced to leave behind their spouses and children, including those married to South African nationals.

At 10 p.m. on Friday, 60 Kenyans arrived home, among them Simon Chege, who for 22 years called South Africa home. It is where he built his life, married a South African woman, raised four children, and established a livelihood.

But when xenophobic attacks escalated, Simon had to make the hardest decision of his life: leaving everything behind. Today, he returns to Kenya alone, with his wife, children, businesses and years of investment remaining in South Africa.

"South Africans are not all bad, but there are a bunch of bad people. This time round they took it seriously. They were going house to house, evicting people," Simon says.

Simon is not alone. Hundreds of others who have since been repatriated by the government have been forced to part with years of hard work.

Martin Oduor, another returnee, says, "I have got two girls, one just graduated from university, and the other is in high school. The mother is South African; we separated."

Apart from losing years of investment, a number of Kenyans, just like other African migrants, went through violence, harassment and intimidation.

"Duka yangu imechukuliwa yenye nilikuwa nayo miaka kumi na tano lakini tunashukuru serikali yetu ni mzuri," says Adan Mohammed Osman, another returnee.

The Ministry of Foreign Affairs has notified all Kenyans who are still in South Africa and would like to be evacuated to register by Tuesday, July 7, saying the repatriation exercise will conclude on Thursday, July 9, 2026.

Thousands of African nationals have left South Africa following the June 30 deadline given by demonstrators for all undocumented migrants to leave.