Kenya Cuts Diaspora Evacuation Funding from Sh400M to Sh26.77M Amid Rising Global Conflicts

Kenya’s Parliament has sharply cut funding for the evacuation of citizens from overseas conflict zones, approving just Sh26.77 million instead of the Sh400 million requested by the State Department for Diaspora Affairs.

The Defence, Intelligence and Foreign Affairs Committee of the National Assembly made the reduction, which was presented by committee chair Nelson Koech and incorporated into the Supplementary Budget I for the 2025/26 financial year, currently under review by the Budget and Appropriations Committee. Officials from the State Department had warned MPs of increasing risks for Kenyans abroad, particularly in the Middle East and Russia.

Ambassador Hellen Gichuhi, representing Principal Secretary Roslyn Njogu, explained that the funds were meant to cover evacuation logistics rather than full travel expenses. She said that 15 Kenyans, including children and students, had already been evacuated from Iran following escalating hostilities.

The urgency arises from the conflict that began on 28 February between Israel, the United States and Iran. Israeli strikes on Iranian energy facilities have been met with retaliatory attacks by Tehran on US-allied infrastructure in the Gulf. With more than half a million Kenyans working across the Middle East, the department has prioritised evacuating vulnerable groups, including children and the elderly.

Concerns also persist over the Russia-Ukraine war, where reports emerged of Kenyans being conscripted into combat. Ambassador Gichuhi confirmed that Moscow had provided assurances to halt the practice. Mr Koech, who recently accompanied a delegation to Russia led by Prime Cabinet Secretary Musalia Mudavadi, noted that some Kenyans in Moscow reported positive experiences.