MPs slash Middle East evacuation budget to Sh26.7m

The National Assembly has moved to drastically reduce the budget allocated for the repatriation of Kenyan citizens currently stranded in high-risk conflict zones. In a significant shift from previous proposals, lawmakers have cut the funding from an initial Sh400 million to just Sh26.77 million, according to the latest reports on the country's supplementary estimates.

The decision comes at a time when global tensions are escalating, particularly in the Middle East and parts of Russia. Families of Kenyans caught in these regions have been petitioning the government for urgent assistance to bring their kin home. The State Department for Diaspora Affairs had previously indicated that Sh400 million was necessary to handle the growing number of distress cases, which include minors and individuals caught in military crossfire.

Officials from the diaspora department, led by Ambassador Hellen Gichuhi, recently informed the National Assembly Committee on Defence, Intelligence, and Foreign Affairs that they were already managing complex evacuations. One recent operation involved moving 15 Kenyans from Iran to Turkey, a process described as costly and logistically demanding. The department has consistently argued that its current resources are overstretched by the geopolitical shocks rippling through the international community.

The funding cut signals a more restrictive approach to state-sponsored repatriations. While the government had initially aimed to assist a broad range of vulnerable citizens, the new budgetary reality suggests that only the most critical cases will receive financial support. This development follows warnings from some legislators that the state cannot sustain the cost of large-scale evacuations for the hundreds of thousands of Kenyans currently residing in the Middle East.

In Russia, the situation remains particularly sensitive following reports that dozens of Kenyans were recruited into military service. Although diplomatic talks between Prime Cabinet Secretary Musalia Mudavadi and Russian officials recently led to an agreement to halt further recruitment and facilitate the return of those unwilling to continue, the question of who bears the financial burden of these returns remains contentious. Russia has reportedly declined to cover repatriation costs, stating that such provisions were not included in the original contracts signed by the recruits.

With the budget now sitting at Sh26.77 million, the government is expected to rely more heavily on international organizations and diplomatic negotiations to manage the crisis. The reduction suggests that many Kenyans seeking to flee conflict zones may now be required to fund their own travel back to Nairobi, unless they meet the narrow criteria for the state's prioritized vulnerability list.