This archive report was first published on 9 July 2020.
Kenyan students in India are breathing a sigh of relief as the government announced the resumption of international flights on August 1. The move comes three months after India closed its borders and suspended international flights to curb the spread of COVID-19.
Among those who will be returning home is Joyce Makokha, a student at Tamil Agricultural University in Coimbatore City. Makokha, who hails from Bungoma County, has been stranded since March and was supposed to travel back home in May but couldn't due to the cancellation of flights to Nairobi.
"I won't miss the August flights; I have missed my two daughters," Makokha said. "The government should pay for quarantine for students returning home. It should also have designated facilities for each of the countries students are returning from," she added.
Law student Felix Makori, who hails from Nyamira County, has also been stranded in India since March. Makori, who is pursuing a doctorate at Karnatak University, appealed to the government to subsidise travel costs to enable Kenyans return home.
"Most students are on private sponsorship and our guardians have exhausted all the resources to sustain our living during the Covid-19 period. We kindly request the government to offer subsidised rates once exams are over so that we can travel back," Makori said.
President Kenyatta announced the resumption of international flights on Monday, stating that they would resume on August 1 under strict adherence to COVID-19 prevention guidelines.
