UPDATE 12/08/2020 10:00 A.M: The Kenyan Embassy in Kuwait confirmed that a repatriation flight for Kenyans stranded in Lebanon was being organized.
The announcement came after videos went viral on social media of Kenyans stuck in the country, unable to return home after the August 4 blast.
"We have communicated to the Kenyans to register with the Consulate and we are already trying to address the issue," stated Halima Mohammed, Kenya's ambassador to Kuwait.
Kenyans stranded in Beirut, Lebanon after a horrific blast on August 4 appealed to President Uhuru Kenyatta to intervene for them to return home in a video widely shared on Monday, August 10.
The large group of more than 10 Kenyans revealed that they were homeless and unable to access any work, and therefore couldn't afford air tickets to come back home.
One of the women in the video was heard lamenting that they were suffering while other countries were evacuating their citizens following the blast.
Indeed, numerous countries including Iran, Philippines, Cyprus, Sri Lanka, and Morocco have announced evacuation flights for their citizens stuck in Beirut.
Officials at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs including Chief Information Officer (CIO) Jane Kariuki were yet to respond to queries made by Kenyans.co.ke by the time of publication, on whether the country would be bringing the stranded Kenyans home.
The women in the video stated that they wished to come back home to spend time with their loved ones, explaining that their stay in Lebanon had turned into a nightmare.
"President Uhuru Kenyatta, DP William Ruto, and the government at large, please, we need your help. We need to go back to our country.
"We don't have money to pay for our tickets, we can't even afford a daily meal everyday. We are stranded and homeless, we are not even working for now," one woman stated.
They literally cried out to Uhuru to intervene in the matter, with some claiming that they had been thrown out by their employers and their work stopped.
The situation comes even as Kenyan domestic workers in Lebanon demand action from the government over rights abuses by their employers.
"Some of us haven't spoken to our parents in so long, they don't know where we are. We have children at home, we have left families behind," another woman narrated before breaking down.
While the international community rallied to support Lebanon after the devastating explosion, the blast also stoked anti-government protests in central Beirut leaving the country reeling in chaos.
Tens of thousands took part in the protests which entered their third day on Monday, August 10 and stormed various government buildings.
At least 160 people died and 6,000 were injured in the blast, but the numbers are expected to rise as search and rescue operations continue.
Watch the video of Kenyans in Beirut below:
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