Alfred Mutua’s responds to Kenya’s border ‘row’ with South Sudan
Foreign Affairs Cabinet Secretary Alfred Mutua has challenged Kenyans working or studying abroad to respect the laws of the host countries to avoid running into trouble.
He spoke in Eldoret on February 22, 2023, adding the recently established department for diaspora affairs in his ministry was keen to address the plight of Kenyans working or studying in foreign countries.
He urged Kenyans to be conversant and respect and adhere to the host country’s laws and visa conditions to avoid getting into trouble.
“If you go to a country that has 200,000 Kenyans and 10 are in bad state, you have to ask yourselves why this 10 and why not over 190,900 Kenyans? we need to ask ourselves if it is isolated or is it common. it is deeper than you think, it is not superficial as many may want to see,” said the CS.
He was accompanied by French Trade minister Olivier Becht and other officials.
He added: “We would not like seeing people coming back in a bad state but we need to ask ourselves why people tend to come back in a bad state.”
“If you are a Kenyan student or a Kenyan worker, if you go to another country . . . please that is not your country, please observe laws of that country. . . if you have a problem with the laws of that country . . . please get onto the next plane and come back home,” added the CS. “don’t go to another country and break the laws or change the laws.”
In the recent past, Kenyan workers have suffered at the hands of their employers, who make them work long hours and subject them to physical and sexual violence that sometimes leads to death.
The CS also urged the Kenyan workers to maintain their immigration status in order to avoid running into trouble with authorities.
“If your visa says that you work for this particular person, don’t work for another unless you change your immigration status because you are breaking the laws,’ added the CS.
The CS explained that they are working to strengthen the status of the Kenyan passport so that Kenyans can gain entry to more countries without visas.
“We will be able to do this if Kenyans go to these countries and respect the laws of those countries. Hope that soon, as we talk with the French government so that Kenyans are able to travel to France for holidays without requiring a visa because other people have been able to do that, “added the CS.
At the same time, the CS also dismissed reports of a diplomatic row between Kenya and her neighbors, saying that Kenya is enjoying good diplomatic relations with all its neighbors.
“It is a matter of discussion but I can assure you that we have good diplomatic relations with all our neighbors. Some of the problems in this continent are as a result of the boundaries drawn during the colonial period,” said the CS.
Kenya and South Sudan were recently embroiled in a dispute over the boundary in the North. Juba has complained that Kenya has “illegally” taken 42 points of its borderline at Nadapal, a settlement on a key crossing point and trade route between the two countries.
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