This archive report was first published on 5 June 2020.
Published on June 5, 2020, India is set to start flying back hundreds of Kenyans who have been stranded in its cities following the grounding of passenger planes due to the Covid-19 pandemic.
According to a statement released by the Indian High Commission in Nairobi, the operation dubbed Vande Bharat Mission will bring home Kenyans who had gone to India, including students attending short-term courses.
As part of the mission, 234 Indian nationals who are 'stranded' in Kenya will also be repatriated by Air India via Mumbai International Airport, from where they can get to their villages by air, train or bus.
'The government of India, under its Vande Bharat Mission, has reached out to stranded and distressed Indians in different parts of the world to facilitate their return,' the statement said.
India has already repatriated 13,750 Indians from 12 countries in 64 flights as part of the mission's first phase.
The Vande Bharat Mission II, which comes months after India restored Nairobi-Mumbai direct flights, expects to fly home 59,000 Indians via planned 311 flights from various regions, including Africa, the Middle East, and Europe.
The mission will run until June 17.
India remains a favourite destination for Kenyan students, traders, and patients who fly to the Asian sub-continent for specialised treatment, spending at least Sh10 billion annually.
