Gov't sets aside Ksh.100M to evacuate Kenyans in Lebanon

The Kenyan government has set aside Ksh.100 million for security and other agencies, to assist in evacuating Kenyans in the Middle East due to the volatile situation in the region.

Addressing the Senate on Wednesday, Prime Cabinet Secretary (CS) Musalia Mudavadi informed the Upper House that the government is concerned about ensuring that none of the approximately 26,000 Kenyans in the country are left stranded amid the ongoing insecurity between Israel and Lebanon.

“Through the Kenyan embassy in Kuwait, already an estimated 1,500 Kenyans have registered in need of government support including evacuation which indeed is a massive undertaking that the government is keen to act on," said the Prime CS.  

“After the government reached out to the Kenyans in Lebanon, I informed the Senators that a number of them had said they were comfortable there and would reach out to the government when the situation was unbearable."

Additionally, Mudavadi highlighted that the government is concerned about the well-being of Kenyans worldwide and is committed to ensuring their welfare. When necessary, he said, the government will respond quickly based on the circumstances at hand.

In response to queries during question time at the Senate, Mudavadi, who is also the Cabinet Secretary for Foreign and Diaspora Affairs, stated that the strategy being developed to assist Kenyans in countries and regions facing humanitarian crises is at an advanced stage.

However, he mentioned that financial constraints hinder smooth operations when emergencies arise, emphasizing that the government, through the Ministry of Foreign and Diaspora Affairs, is working diligently to ensure that no lives are lost and no willing Kenyan is left stranded or unattended.

“We are working every day to ensure that we handle individual cases in the best humanitarian way we can, but also we are faced with a dilemma of Kenyans who tell us that they believe the situation will calm and they are hopeful that they can continue with their stay at the respective countries, including some in Lebanon,” said Mudavadi.

He also told the Senate that his ministry remains committed to supporting Kenyan embassies and missions across the world, ensuring that no region is overlooked.

“Our Kenyan embassies and missions worldwide remain steadfast in their commitment to promoting, projecting, and protecting Kenya’s image and national interests; promoting cordial relations between Kenya and the country or institution of accreditation," said the Prime CS.

Mudavadi also responded to questions regarding the staffing levels, categorized by cadre, at the Kenya Embassy in Washington, D.C., as well as at the two Kenyan Consulates General in Los Angeles and New York.

He elaborated on the vital roles played by staff in each cadre, informing the Senate that the efficiency of operations at the embassy and consulates necessitates additional staffing once funds are available and a proper deployment plan is crafted.

“Under the rapid results initiative being spearheaded by the department for diaspora affairs under my ministry, we are analysing the workload distribution and the service delivery to Kenyans in the United States as we work on a progressive approach to staffing aspects," said Mudavadi.

“To strengthen the Missions operations and implement optimum staffing levels, additional finances have been sourced from the Government exchequer towards enhancing Mission capabilities.”

Further, Mudavadi confirmed that the newly posted ambassador to Washington, D.C., reported two weeks ago, and that smooth operations at the embassy are ongoing, as reported in the consulates as well.

Senators, led by Nairobi Senator Edwin Sifuna, sought details on how the government, through the Ministry of Foreign and Diaspora Affairs, is managing operations at the Kenyan embassy in Washington, D.C., and the two consulates in New York and Los Angeles.

Regarding the delayed issuance of identity cards to Kenyans residing in the United States, the Prime Cabinet Secretary informed the Senate that communication about ID and passport collection has been enhanced by the missions.

He added that efforts to raise awareness about the importance of applying for and collecting these documents are being undertaken through existing diaspora associations and their leadership, as well as through direct calls, emails, and alerts and messaging on social media platforms.

“Through a rapid results initiative by the State Department for Diaspora Affairs in collaboration with the State Department for Immigration and Citizen Services, we are decentralising the Identity Card processing to other cities away from where the Embassy or consulates are located," said Mudavadi.

"This is undertaken through the Mobile Consular Services (MSC) outreach exercise, which has seen over 2,459 identity cards processed in outstations in Seattle, Atlanta, Minnesota, Dallas, Boston, and Houston. Another phase of the MCS is being planned for the third quarter of the FY 2024/25.” he told the Senate.

He, however, regretted that the processing of identity cards (IDs) is entirely manual and that verification of all applications must be conducted by the National Registration Bureau.

“This causes a bit of delay, especially at Missions that are not well staffed. In addition, in the event of queries, the request has to be channelled back to the Mission to seek clarity from the applicant," said Mudavadi.

 “Issues of registration on eCitizen, where the system sometimes rejects foreign numbers where the One Time Password (OTP) has to be sent to the particular phone number used for registration. We are now sensitizing the diaspora to use the email option. We are engaging some of our local telcos companies on an option of an E-Simcard, which the diaspora can use while away for both eCitizen service access and the mobile banking needs.” noted Mudavadi.

The Prime CS also stated that work is progress in formulating a session paper on Foreign and Diaspora Affairs, which will be presented before Parliament for enriching to help outline and position key areas of concern into focus and drive Kenya’s foreign and diaspora engagements to the next level.

This paper he said, will anchor key policies in law and help move the conversation towards a direction that will benefit Kenya and people in the diaspora at large.