Another group of Kenyans stranded in the UK jetted into the country on Saturday morning aboard a Kenya Airways plane.
According to Kenya’s High Commissioner to UK Manoah Esipisu, the chartered flight left Heathrow Airport on Friday afternoon.
Second @KenyaAirways flight carrying stranded Kenyan passengers to Nairobi JKIA has left London Heathrow @ForeignOfficeKE @MOH_Kenya @KenyaMissionUK @JaneMarriottFCO @JamesDuddridge @NyangePatience pic.twitter.com/Wpu5I78hg8
— Amb. Manoah Esipisu EBS (@MEsipisu) May 15, 2020
In a tweet, KQ said that the passengers were received by Ambassador Michael Oyugi.
“KQ103 has touched down. This is our second special flight to bring Kenyans home from the UK in partnership with the Government of Kenya. Amb Michael Oyugi of @ForeignOfficeKE was at the airport to welcome the flight home,” the tweet read.
KQ103 has touched down. This is our second special flight to bring Kenyans home from the UK in partnership with the Government of Kenya. Amb Michael Oyugi of @ForeignOfficeKE was at the airport to welcome the flight home. #KaribuniNyumbani #TogetherWeCan pic.twitter.com/QyW7o8U08P
— Kenya Airways (@KenyaAirways) May 16, 2020
The flight tickets were slightly higher than those of the last trip as this particular flight was transporting cargo.
“There is a difference in price and this is because the flight on May 4 was ferrying cargo to and from the United Kingdom. It was, therefore, possible to balance out the operating costs between cargo and passenger services,” KQ explained.
Economy class tickets on this flight were going for Sh101,000 and Sh279,000 for business class.
On May 4, 84 Kenyans stranded in the UK returned home at their own cost.
Similarly, Kenyans stuck in India and China were evacuated last week.
All the returnees are being held at designated quarantine facilities for a period of 14 to 28 days.
Foreign Affairs CS Raychelle Omamo told Senators that the government has helped evacuate 744 Kenyans in the diaspora.
She also disclosed that 30 Kenyans out of the confirmed 193 positive cases of COVID-19 have died.
She also noted that 88 cases are still active, 4 are in Intensive Care Unit while another 71 have recovered.
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