This archive report was first published on 3 May 2021.
On February 3, 2020, China Southern Airlines made seven trips from Nairobi to Guangzhou, transporting 3,000 boxes of personal protective equipment (PPEs) and surgical masks. This was before Kenya reported its first coronavirus case on March 12, 2020.
According to the airline's report, Chinese citizens and overseas Chinese living in Kenya collected more than 3,000 boxes of medical supplies. The flight crew and passengers worked together to move these life-saving supplies, which were then transported to China.
China Southern Airlines claimed that the move was due to the situation in China deeply impacting the hearts of her compatriots overseas at the onset of the pandemic outbreak. The airline reported, 'Every mask, glove, and protective suit in the cabin seems to have a heartbeat. They come from Chinese compatriots who are separated by mountains and rivers.'
Kenya's acute shortage of PPEs was exacerbated by the export of these supplies to China. The country later had to beg Chinese tycoon Jack Ma to donate PPEs and medical supplies, which arrived in Kenya on March 24, 2020, but were later stolen and sold by rogue state officials.
On April 20, 2020, a second donation from the Chinese government also went missing after being stolen by unscrupulous businessmen and Chinese business owners in Nairobi. The Directorate of Criminal Investigations (DCI) launched investigations into the two incidents, but officials have remained tight-lipped about the progress made.
