Hundreds of Kenyans recently evacuated from South Africa following xenophobic attacks are appealing to the government for financial support, saying they are struggling to rebuild their lives after returning home without jobs or a stable source of income.
Representatives of the 477 returnees met officials at the State Department for Diaspora Affairs, where they expressed gratitude for the government’s efforts to bring them home safely but said they now require assistance to become financially independent.
They urged the government to provide capital that would enable them to start businesses and support their families.
“The key agenda is on funding to help us get back on our feet. We are not here against our government; we are actually here thanking our government for the good work,” said Baylian Wambugu, who spoke on behalf of the group.
Another returnee, Ali Jele Sambul, made an emotional appeal, saying, “Muhimu ni tunataka leo tupate habari nzuri, tupewe pesa tuanze biashara. Leo siondoki hapa, afadhali nifungwe na serikali.”
Apart from financial challenges, the returnees said many families are facing difficulties accessing essential government services. They explained that children born in South Africa do not have Kenyan birth certificates, making it difficult to enrol them in schools, while others returned without national identification documents needed to begin life afresh.
“All the children who were born in South Africa don’t have birth certificates. Very many others came from prison without IDs. We also have cases of some of the deaths that happened we want those bodies brought back,” Wambugu said.
Ruth Wambui said the lack of proper documentation has complicated efforts to integrate the children into the Kenyan education system.
“There is no way you can bring a child from elsewhere and expect them to continue with school immediately. You need documentation that will indicate the way forward,” she said.
The returnees also called on the Kenyan government to engage South African authorities over five-year entry bans they say were imposed on them when they left the country. They argued that the restrictions should be reviewed and lifted once the security situation improves.
“When we arrived at South African immigration, all of us, despite having official letters, were issued with a five-year ban from returning to South Africa. We want the Kenyan government to engage South Africa so that the ban can be lifted,” said Julius Mwangi.
As they begin rebuilding their lives in Kenya, the group hopes the government will address their concerns, ranging from financial assistance and documentation to diplomatic engagement with South Africa, to ease their transition and help them regain stability.
