30 Kenyans in Diaspora Die of Covid-19 - Raychelle Omamo

Foreign Affairs Cabinet Secretary Raychelle Omamo
Former Foreign Affairs CS Raychelle Omamo at Kenya School of Government (KSG), Lower Kabete in Kiambu For a Consultative Devolution meeting. Thursday, February 20, 2020
Simon Kiragu

Foreign Affairs Cabinet Secretary Raychelle Omamo on Wednesday, May 13 revealed that a total of 30 Kenyans had succumbed to Covid-19 abroad.

Omamo was speaking while appearing before Parliament where she revealed that cumulatively, 193 Kenyans in the diaspora had tested positive for the virus.

She added that 88 Kenyans were undergoing treatment with 4 being in intensive care units (ICUs) of various hospitals abroad. 

Nairobi Senator Johnson Sakaja makes his remarks during the launch of a report titled Job Entry Level Skills launched at the Serena Hotel on November 6, 2019.
Nairobi Senator Johnson Sakaja makes his remarks during the launch of a report titled Job Entry Level Skills launched at the Serena Hotel on November 6, 2019.
Daily Nation

The CS appeared before the Senate Ad Hoc Committee on Covid-19 chaired by Nairobi Senator Johnson Sakaja.

The meeting was held via a video conference to provide the Senators with an update on the Ministry's response to Covid-19.

Omamo also provided an update on Kenyans in Wuhan, China majority who are students noting that they have urged the universities to offer some stipend to them.  

The former Cabinet Secretary of Defence also revealed that the Ministry of Foreign Affairs had at the time repatriated a total of 744 Kenyans from around the globe.

These included 70 from Sudan, 7 from Dubai, 21 from Pakistan, 165 from China, 135 from UAE and 84 from the United Kingdom.

Omamo added that the ministry had formed an emergency committee chaired by Chief Administrative Secretary (CAS) Ababu Namwamba to monitor Kenyans in the diaspora.

With truck drivers in East Africa marked as high-risk carriers of Covid-19, Omamo shared more details of President Uhuru Kenyatta's meeting with regional counterparts.

"Yesterday (Tuesday) the President held a meeting with heads of states in East Africa and they formed a committee to look into the truck drivers border issue," noted Omamo.

On Tuesday, May 12, the Kenyan High Commission in the UK announced that a second flight from London had been availed to take off on Friday, May 15.

Foreign Affairs Cabinet Secretary Raychelle Omamo during the Sustainable Blue Economy Conference at the KICC in Nairobi on November 28, 2018.
Foreign Affairs Cabinet Secretary Raychelle Omamo during the Sustainable Blue Economy Conference at the KICC in Nairobi on November 28, 2018.
Daily Nation