The Kenyan government has confirmed the release of 24 Kenyans from the Democratic Karen Buddhist Army (DKBA) in Myanmar, with 46 more rescued at the border awaiting handover to authorities.
The Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Diaspora Affairs announced on Tuesday, February 18, 2025, that the 24 Kenyans were freed on February 12 following diplomatic efforts that also secured the release of 261 foreigners from 18 nationalities.
“The release of the Kenyans followed months of delicate negotiations spearheaded by the Kenya Embassy in Thailand in conjunction with various partners in Thailand and Myanmar,” the ministry said in a statement.
On February 18, another 46 Kenyans were rescued by the DKBA and the Border Guard Force (BGF).
However, they remain within Myanmar territory and are awaiting transfer to Thai authorities.
They are among hundreds of foreigners who were trafficked to Myanmar last year and forced into cybercrime activities, including online scams, fraud, identity theft, phishing, and cryptocurrency scams.
The victims were held in scam centers located in rebel-controlled regions, making rescue operations difficult.
The ministry also confirmed that four more Kenyans escaped into Thailand on February 8, where they were rescued by Thai civilians and handed over to security authorities.
They are currently undergoing immigration processing before being repatriated to Kenya.
The government has cautioned Kenyans against traveling to Myanmar for job opportunities that are falsely advertised as being in Thailand.
“Kenyans should be aware that traffickers use Thailand as a trapdoor to lure vulnerable youth into Myanmar. The Ministry calls upon Kenyans interested in jobs advertised in Thailand to get in touch with the Ministry or the Kenya Embassy in Bangkok to authenticate any such offers before traveling abroad,” the statement added.
Email your news TIPS to Editor@Kahawatungu.com — this is our only official communication channel
