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Free flights from South Africa to end on Thursday night as 422 return to Kenya
Anthony Waweru (left) and Nelly Onyango, two of the Kenyans repatriated from South Africa following escalating anti-migrant protests on arrival at JKIA on July 2, 2026.
Photo credit: Evans Habil | Nation Media Group
What you need to know:
- Diaspora Affairs Principal Secretary Roseline Njogu confirmed in a tweet that the Thursday night flight will be the last.
- The first batch of 26 Kenyan returnees arrived on June 30, and there have been regular repatriation flights since then.
The government’s programme of repatriating Kenyans fleeing lynch mobs in South Africa will end on Thursday night, having flown in 422 Kenyans and with 50 more expected in the final flight.
The Foreign Affairs ministry told Nation that the Kenya Airways aeroplane that will bring the last cohort is scheduled to land at the Jomo Kenyatta International Airport (JKIA) at about 10pm.
