Thursday, October 17, 20214 –All Kenyan ambassadors stationed in the Middle East have been advised to start registering Kenyans residing in the volatile region as tensions escalates.
This was announced by Foreign Affairs Cabinet Secretary Musalia Mudavadi who gave the reason of the Israel-Hamas war, which has now also extended to Lebanon.
Mudavadi issued the directive on Thursday, 17 October, while providing updates on the precarious situation facing Kenyans living and working in Lebanon.
“They should not gamble; it’s not a game out there,” he remarked, warning of the dangers.
“The government is also aware of a larger conflict in the Middle East and has requested Kenyan Ambassadors in the region to conduct swift registration of Kenyans in their jurisdiction,” CS Mudavadi told the press.
In July, Mudavadi had disclosed that 316 Kenyans have died in Gulf countries over the last 12 years, with most fatalities in Saudi Arabia, highlighting risks for overseas workers.
Despite these deaths, over 80,000 Kenyans worked in Saudi Arabia in 2022, while the Gulf region hosted more than 170,000 Kenyans, driven by lack of opportunities in Kenya.
Overall, 416,058 Kenyans are employed abroad, pointing to the scale of migration, but concerns persist over working conditions and the need for stronger labour protections.
The Prime Cabinet Secretary also revealed that 35 Kenyans have already been evacuated from Lebanon, with further evacuation efforts underway despite significant challenges.
The Kenyan government is discouraging citizens from traveling to conflict-prone areas in the Middle East until the situation calms.