What began as an exciting school trip to Dubai turned into four long days of fear, uncertainty and desperate waiting for a group of Kenyan teachers and students who were stranded in the city as tensions in the Middle East escalated.
The group from Olivine School in Nyali, Mombasa, had travelled to Dubai on February 23 for an educational tour meant to expose learners to innovation and development in other parts of the world.
They were scheduled to return to Kenya on February 28, but as they prepared to check in for their flight home, they received unexpected news: the flight had been cancelled.
The cancellation came as the conflict in the Middle East intensified following Israel’s strike on Tehran, which triggered the grounding of flights across parts of the region.
Dr Olive Kamene, the school's director, who was among the four teachers who accompanied the students, recounted the moment everything changed.
“We had already packed and were checking in online when we received a message from Kenya Airways that the flight had been cancelled,” she said, adding,
“We tried contacting the airline offices to know what to do next, but we could not reach anyone. Everything suddenly became uncertain.”
Managing Director at Olivine school in Nyali, Olive Kamene Tindika, is welcomed as she returns from Dubai aboard Kenya Airways KQ305 flight at the Jomo Kenyatta International Airport (JKIA), with her students, amid the U.S.-Israel conflict with Iran, in Nairobi, Kenya, March 5, 2026.
Photo credit: Reuters
The group was forced to stay at their hotel near Dubai International Airport, where they would remain stranded for the next four days. What followed was an experience many of the students- Grade 3 to Grade 9 - had never imagined.
“Back home, we are used to hearing about cattle rustlers and bandits, but this was war…Missiles were crossing the sky like stars. We could even see the airport from our hotel and even saw how the damage inflicted on the airport by an Iranian strike,” the school’s director said.
Throughout their stay, constant alerts would sound on mobile phones, warning residents and visitors to take cover whenever missiles were detected.
The warning alert read “Due to the current situation, a potential missile strike, seek immediate shelter in the closest secure building, and steer away from windows, doors and open areas. Await further instructions.”
The second alert, dubbed “Public Safety Alert”, would come after things had calmed. It read, “Thank you for your cooperation. We reassure you that the situation is currently safe. You may resume your normal activities while continuing to remain cautious and take necessary precautions, and to follow instructions.”
The alert, Dr Kamene said, would come to every device, whether you had a SIM card or not. The alert even appeared on the students' tablets, yet they have no sim cards.
“It was a shrill sound forcing you to look at your device and get instructions on how to take cover. For us, it was the first time experiencing something like that. We didn’t even know where the shelters were.”
Hotels in Dubai are equipped with emergency bunkers in their basements, and guests were instructed to gather in safer areas whenever alarms went off.
“The first alert shocked everyone. People rushed to the lobby and then to the basements,” Dr Kamene said.
The locals, she noted, are used to the scary situation and would go about their lives as usual.
Students of Olivine school in Nyali, arrive from Dubai aboard Kenya Airways KQ305 flight at the Jomo Kenyatta International Airport (JKIA), as they return amid the U.S.-Israel conflict with Iran, in Nairobi, Kenya, March 5, 2026.
Photo credit: Reuters
“At night we could see drones and interceptions in the sky, as the locals looked on casually, with some even taking photos and videos,” she said.
For the students, the fear was overwhelming.
“The children kept asking, ‘Are we going to die? Are we sure we are not going to die?’ At that moment, you are also scared yourself, but you have to reassure them,” she said.
Financial pressure soon added to the stress. The school trip had been budgeted to end on March 1, and the unexpected extension meant parents had to keep sending money to support the students’ stay.
“Parents had to dig into their pockets for extra days...Our travel insurance could not help because they said war is not covered. That is something the insurance sector needs to rethink. You take travel insurance hoping it will help in emergencies, but in situations like war or natural disasters, it suddenly becomes useless,” Dr Kamene said.
Despite the financial strain, the group received support from the Dubai authorities. The Department of Economy and Tourism directed hotels not to evict stranded tourists even if payments were delayed.
“They told hotels to continue accommodating visitors and even allow reduced payments until the money came. The hotels were very understanding and supportive,” she said.
Kenyans trapped in Middle East express safety concerns
Attempts to reach Kenyan authorities, however, were largely unsuccessful. The group contacted the Kenyan embassy and other government departments but received no response.
“It was traumatising to see other nationalities being evacuated while we were still stranded. Buses would come for Americans and other citizens, and they already knew the day they would leave. It can be a very lonely feeling,” she said.
Hope finally came through Kenya Airways, which announced special repatriation flights for Kenyans stranded by the crisis. A customer update issued on March 4 announced that the airline scheduled special flights from Nairobi to Dubai on March 4 and from Dubai to Nairobi on March 5 to facilitate the evacuation.
These were not regular scheduled flights but emergency operations meant to help citizens and UAE residents travel between the two cities during the disruption.
Even then, securing seats was not guaranteed. When Dr Kamene visited the Kenya Airways offices in Dubai, she was initially told the passenger list was already full.
“I was taken to the station manager, Mr Boaz, and he said he would rather have a few adults remain behind but ensure the children got seats and left the Middle East. He was a saint; he should be given his flowers,” she said.
Eventually, the entire group managed to board the flight a few minutes to 7am. The entire team onboard felt an enormous sense of relief when the plane left Dubai airspace. The security agencies informed them that they were monitoring the situation and the flight would be diverted if there was any danger.
Inside the aircraft, the students fell asleep almost immediately; the fatigue and constant sense of impending danger denied them the pleasure of sleeping, and when they did, it was fitful.
Fire of Israeli attack on Sharan Oil depot is seen following the Israeli strikes on Iran, in Tehran, Iran, June 15, 2025.
Photo credit: Majid Asgaripour/WANA (West Asia News Agency) via REUTERS
Then the journey powered on. First, they crossed the United Arab Emirates, then Yemen, then over the Gulf of Aden. Steadily, the flight, KQ305, maintained an altitude of 36,000 feet and crossed over into Africa as it cut through Somalia’s airspace before pounding on to Ethiopia and eventually, through Mandera county, Kenya. Barely ten minutes past 11, the flight hit the runway at Jomo Kenyatta International Airport.
“We burst out in songs. Crossing over into Africa was the best feeling ever and landing safely in Kenya was the icing on the cake,” Dr Kamene said.
The slight skidding of the flight’s tyres on hard tarmac at one of the busiest airports in Africa marked the end of an emotional ordeal. From there, the group caught a connecting flight to Mombasa last night (Thursday) at 8pm where they were met by their loved ones eagerly awaiting their return.
A departure board displays cancelled flights in front of an empty Qatar Airways check-in area amid the US-Israel conflict with Iran, at Heathrow Airport Terminal 4, in Greater London, Britain, March 2, 2026.
Photo credit: Isabel Infantes | Reuters
For the students, the experience has left deep psychological marks. The school plans to organise counselling sessions to help them process the trauma from next week. The teachers, too, Dr Kamene explained, will attend the therapy session.
Despite the frightening experience, she believes the trip still achieved part of its educational goal.
The visit had been designed under Kenya’s Competency-Based Education (CBE) curriculum to expose learners to innovation and creativity by observing how countries like the United Arab Emirates transformed harsh desert landscapes into thriving economic hubs.
“In Dubai the children see deserts turned into beautiful gardens and even indoor snow parks. Those who want to become architects or engineers can see what is possible," she said.
When the students return to class, she hopes the experience will inspire reflection.
“When they go back to school, they will write about what they can do for this country. They have seen how a desert can become an economic hub. It makes them think about what they can change in Kenya and how they can create impact in their own country.”
