200 Chinese Nationals Leave Kenya At Night As Covid-19 Fears Escalate

At least 200 Chinese Nationals who have been residing in Kenya left the country yesterday at night at around 11pm, even as the fear for contracting Covid-19 escalates.

It is expected that 200 more will leave the country within the week, even as China seeks to evacuate its citizens who have been living in Kenya.

“The remaining 200 will leave in the course of the week. We were expecting all of them to leave at once, but considering the social-distance rule and the new sitting arrangement, they could not leave at once,” said their lawyer Isaac Okinyo as quoted by the Nation.

According to the lawyer who moved to the High Court yesterday to have the Chinese nationals evacuated,  Kenya’s health system does not have the capacity to handle the Covid-19 pandemic.

“They have underlying conditions and others just don’t feel safe here. All the isolation centres are full, testing and contact tracing is a big deal to the Kenyan government,” Mr Okinyo said.

Read: 400 Chinese Nationals In Kenya Seek To Return Home, Decry Discrimination

Further, the Chinese decried discrimination ever since the first case of coronavirus was reported in Kenya in mid-March.

“The other day, I went to a supermarket and people fled. In hospitals where we go for check-ups, the medics always insist that we should be tested for Covid-19. I am not sure whether I will come back to Kenya,” a Chinese woman complained.

There were cases of racism in China especially against Africans back in April. Most affected were Africans in the southern city of Guangzhou.

They were kicked out of their apartments, forcing them to seek refuge on the streets. Others were forced to take COVID-19 tests but did not receive their results.

Others were harassed and discriminated against in public places.

In May, Kenya evacuated 165 of its citizens.

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