This archive report was first published on 22 June 2020.
On June 19, two Kenya Air Force C27J Spartan aircrafts successfully airlifted 27 Kenyans from Addis Ababa, Ethiopia to Jomo Kenyatta International Airport in Nairobi.
The evacuees had been stranded in Ethiopia for three months due to COVID-19 travel restrictions imposed to curb the spread of the disease.
Among those evacuated was Silas Oulo, a Kenyan teacher who had been teaching in Ethiopia since January. He was left jobless when the school semester was closed.
“When we saw the KDF flight arrive, we were delighted. I am delighted to be back home,” said Oulo.
Dozens of Kenyans remain stranded in various countries due to the pandemic. Plans are underway to fly them back to Kenya.
One such group consists of 120 Kenyan students who are stranded in Sudan's universities. Kenya Airways has agreed to fly them back at a discounted price of Sh51,940 each, down from Sh56,604.
The students were stuck in Sudan's capital, Khartoum, after international flights were banned into and out of Kenya and Sudan in March.
MP Abdulswamad Shariff Nassir, who is financing the evacuation, thanked Kenya Airways for being considerate and agreeing to reduce the airfare from USD 534 to USD 490.
Another group of Kenyans stuck in India is set to leave on Tuesday.
