This archive report was first published on 20 April 2020.
On April 20, 2020, the Kenyan government's inaction in the face of Kenyans being abused and tortured in China was exposed, revealing a betrayal of trust.
The Ministry of Foreign Affairs has failed to secure the evacuation of Kenyans stuck in China, despite the country's diplomatic relations with Kenya and most African countries.
Principal Secretary Macharia Kamau's assertion that those seeking evacuation would have to foot the cost is inconsiderate and amounts to stigmatisation of coronavirus infection.
Consular services abroad are meant to rescue citizens in distress, not abandon them. The cost of airlifting citizens and saving their lives is a small price to pay for the government's responsibility to protect its citizens.
The government must take immediate action to bring back those Kenyans from China and seek a diplomatic resolution to such cruelty on citizens.
Kenya and other African states must make a strong statement to China that it cannot allow its nationals to be humiliated and tortured and still expect to have a cordial relationship with the continent.
China's actions are a betrayal of the trust placed in it as a major development partner with Africa. The country has secured huge contracts for infrastructure projects and has become a major trading and development player.
However, China's recent actions have shown a disregard for international conventions and protocols, and its nationals have been involved in maltreating others.
Beijing must stop the brutalities on Africans in China, and the Foreign Affairs ministry and its embassies abroad must rescue those stuck and suffering out there and bring them home.
