Why Kenyan Returnees From South Africa Arrived With Empty Hands

A version of this article appeared on Nation.Africa

A group of distressed Kenyan citizens arrived at Jomo Kenyatta International Airport (JKIA) on a Kenya Airways (KQ) flight, coming back from South Africa with almost no personal belongings.

The returnees are fleeing a severe immigration crisis, which has sparked widespread anti-immigrant protests across major South African cities.

Many of the evacuees report that they had to leave everything behind, because hostility toward foreign nationals intensified ahead of a recent government deadline.

The South African authorities had set a June 30 deadline for undocumented migrants to regularise their residency status, but the situation quickly deteriorated into targeted violence.

According to reports from the ground, businesses owned by foreigners were looted, and multiple individuals lost their livelihoods in the chaos.

The State Department for Diaspora Affairs (SDDA) stepped in to assist those stranded, advising Kenyans to remain vigilant and maintain contact with embassy officials.

A total of 151 Kenyans were part of the initial emergency evacuation phase, though the government has registered at least 240 citizens requiring urgent help.

Prime Cabinet Secretary Musalia Mudavadi confirmed that the Kenyan High Commission (KHC) in Pretoria has been providing temporary safe havens for affected individuals.

The state has supplied hotel accommodation, food, and essential relief items to those waiting for flights back home.

Musalia Mudavadi held a direct telephone conversation with South Africa's Minister for International Relations and Cooperation, Ronald Lamola, to discuss the ongoing security situation.

The Kenyan government has expressed confidence that South Africa will protect foreign nationals, but evacuations are continuing for those who feel unsafe.

Records indicate that an estimated 27,000 Kenyans live in South Africa, with many contributing positively to the local economy.

However, the recent wave of demonstrations has left many legal and illegal residents terrified for their safety.

Some returnees described watching their homes and shops being vandalised by mobs, which forced them to run with only the clothes on their backs.

The total number of repatriated citizens has now reached 180, and more operations are planned in the coming days.

Families gathered at the airport in Nairobi to receive their relatives, who appeared visibly traumatised by the sudden turn of events.

Officials from the red cross and emergency services were present at the airport, providing counseling and immediate logistics support to the returnees.

The state intends to help the victims integrate back into local communities, although many face a difficult journey to rebuild what they lost.

The evacuation remains an active operation as diplomatic teams monitor the volatile environment across southern Africa.