Kenyans say they went without food, water during S. Sudan fighting

Some of the 100 Kenyans who were airlifted from war-torn South Sudan by the Foreign Affairs ministry at the Jomo Kenyatta International Airport on July 16, 2016. PHOTO | JEFF ANGOTE | NATION MEDIA GROUP

What you need to know:

  • On Saturday, the first batch of a 100 Kenyans evacuated from the war-torn Juba in South Sudan arrived at the Jomo Kenyatta International Airport on a Kenya airways flight.
  • The Foreign Affairs ministry has urged all Kenyans in South Sudan to remain vigilant and urgently register with the Kenyan embassy in Juba or contact Ambassador Cleland Leshore.

We spent days hungry during the fighting in South Sudan. We slept under the beds with our kids. Life was so hard during the fight. These are the words of Millicent Anyango, one of the Kenyans flown in from the war-torn country.

The smile on her face is evidence enough that she is glad to be back home.

In her arms, she holds her 4-months-old baby girl, while her other daughter walks around the Red Cross tents outside Terminal A arrivals section at the Jomo Kenyatta International Airport. Though tired from the journey back home, she says she is now at peace.

Millicent came back home with her two kids while her husband stayed back in South Sudan. But she hopes he will be joining her and their kids next week or in December. She ran a clothing business in South Sudan but is not planning on going back.

“I am going to continue my business right here in Kenya. There is no food, there is no water in South Sudan. I lost many things, our clothes and money were stolen,” she said.

Kenyans who were evacuated from South Sudan on July 16, 2016 pictured arriving in the country at the Jomo Kenyata International Airport. PHOTO | JEFF ANGOTE | NATION MEDIA GROUP

On Saturday, the first batch of a 100 Kenyans evacuated from the war-torn Juba in South Sudan arrived at the Jomo Kenyatta International Airport on a Kenya airways flight.

Hilda Awino, another Kenyan who came in the first flight, expressed her delight being on safer grounds.

‘I am feeling comfortable [that] at last I know I will sleep. Even without food I know I will be okay. The situation is still bad. People there keep telling us the situation will worsen in the next seven days. We had to leave,” she said.

The Foreign Affairs ministry has urged all Kenyans in South Sudan to remain vigilant and urgently register with the Kenyan embassy in Juba or contact Ambassador Cleland Leshore.

“The ones that were assessed to be more vulnerable are already here and they are going through medical check-ups,” Ms Monica Juma, Foreign Affairs Principal Secretary.

Most of those who arrived in the first plane are women and children.

They were received by Deputy Chief of Staff and Head of Public Service Nzioka Waita, Ms Juma and her Devolution ministry counterpart Ms Josephta Mukobe.

Ms Juma refuted claims circulating on social media that Kenyans were killed in South Sudan.

“We have one man that has a bullet wound. And he has been flown in. There have been unconfirmed rumours on social media. We are working with the intelligence to confirm them. But there are no casualties [currently],” said the Principal Secretary.

Uganda military personnel drive towards Juba in South Sudan at Nimule border point on July 14, 2016. The Ugandan Army have started an evacuation mission to extract 3000 Ugandan civilians stranded by the recent fighting between army loyal to President Salva Kiir and first Vice-president Riek Machar. PHOTO | AFP

Many of those who came in on Saturday say the situation in South Sudan is quite unpredictable.

The Ministry of Foreign Affairs has disseminated information to Kenyans living in South Sudan, to allow for the easy and orderly evacuation of those who wish to leave the country.

At least 300 people have been killed and more than 42, 000 others displaced following the violence that erupted between fighters allied to President Salva Kiir and First Vice President Riek Machar.