Update: Chinese Embassy has refuted claims that over 200 Chinese were evacuated on Tuesday night, June 16.
"The Embassy firmly reiterates that the reports about Chinese taking flights back are false. There is no passenger flight to China this week. The claims that 200 Chinese flew out last night via China SA flight are totally false too," an excerpt of the statement released by the Embassy on Wednesday, June 16 states.
Close to 200 Chinese Nationals were evacuated on the night of Tuesday, June 16, after they asked to travel back to China where they believed is safer than Kenya. The Chinese had lamented over Kenya's inability to manage Coronavirus (Covid-19) pandemic.
The 200 departed at 11 pm from the Jomo Kenyatta International Airport, with the second batch of 200 set to leave at a later date.
In a report by Daily Nation on Wednesday, June 17, their lawyer detailed that the decision to have them travel in two groups was based on Covid-19 directives.
"The remaining 200 will leave in the course of the week.
"We were expecting all of them to leave at once, but considering the social-distancing rule and the new sitting arrangement, they could not leave at once," lawyer Isaac Okinyo stated.
The Chinese were given the green light to travel back to Asia by the High Court after the lawyer petitioned the Chinese Embassy and the Ministry of Foreign Affairs.
They also argued that they had been subjected to racism after the pandemic broke out in China and spread to the world.
China's Ambassador to Kenya, Wu Peng, is also expected to leave the country after he was recalled by his country.
Kenya has not yet resumed international flights after the government announced a ban in March 2020.
However, the government disclosed that it would allow other countries to evacuate their citizens under strict conditions. Empty planes would be allowed to jet in to evacuate foreigners.
In March 2020, the government temporarily lifted the ban on flights and allowed an Italian plane to repatriate Italian citizens stuck in Malindi.
