28 Ukrainian Citizens on a tourist visit to Kenya are stranded in hotels at the country's South Coast following the ongoing war between Russia and Ukraine.
Speaking to the media on Wednesday, March 2, Marrie, a Ukrainian citizen, stated that she fears returning to her home country, even as the situation in Kyiv worsens.
She revealed that she and her husband flew to Kenya on February 19 to celebrate her birthday. Marrie, whose parents are Ukrainian (mother) and Russian (father), now says she may not have a home to return to.
"My husband decided to surprise me with a trip to Kenya for my birthday. None of us was expecting that something would happen to our homes back in Ukraine.
"I know we cannot go back home (Ukraine) and that is crazy because you are not sure what exactly will happen tomorrow," she reiterated.
Debbie and 23 others are now being hosted at the Diani Sea resort after a philanthropist from the Czech Republic, Vaclav Kobla, offered to pay for their accommodation after getting knowledge of their plight.
"I posted on social media alerting the Ukrainian embassy informing them that 23 people were stuck at the Leopard Hotel and needed to check out. We went from hotel to hotel looking for a way to help them," another Ukrainian citizen noted.
The 23 Ukrainian nationals arrived in Mombasa on the Sister City Charter flight program. The charter flight brings in about 200 tourists from Odesa, Ukraine, twice a month.
The Mombasa County government has called for a meeting with stakeholders and locals on Friday, March 4, to discuss how best way to assist the stranded tourists.
"We are looking for a way to evacuate them but in the meantime, we are appealing to the stakeholders as well as families who can host them in their houses until they are ready to go back home," the Mombasa county official noted.
Meanwhile, Russian military troops continue to gain ground in Ukraine and as at Wednesday, were 25 kilometres from the capital, Kyiv. This is against the ongoing negotiations between officials from the two sides at the Ukraine-Belarus border.
On March 1, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs stated that 79 Kenyan students had been evacuated from Ukraine as part of the rescue efforts by the Kenyan government.
