Two families are now appealing for government intervention to repatriate the bodies of their kin stuck abroad.
John Karunda died early this year in Brampton in Ontario, Canada through a road accident. He was working as a casual labourer.
Felister Kemunto, 32, from Bogeka village in Kitutu Chache, Kisii County died mysteriously last year December in Iraq while working a househelp.
Her repatriation cost totalling Sh800,000 has been hard to get with family now resorting to fundraisers.
“I do not know what killed her upto now. She was a mother of two and even one child is sick. Kemunto had finished her two years, extended another year and was to come back home December 4 last year,” said Racheal Nyakoe, mother to Kemunto on phone from Kisii County.
She added: “We are still fundraising here and there and we have been given 15 days from last week Thursday to organise to bring the body, failure of which they will bury my daughter. We have not seen any help from the County Government and the Foreign Affairs Ministry told us they can help but its early and help may come after several days or months.”
According to Ephraim Mwaura, President and executive director, Kenyan Canadian Association, Karunda, 31, came to Canada in June 2024 and was a causal worker with a temporary job without insurance benefits.
He said upto now they have not been able to raise the USD30,000 (about Sh2.7 million) needed for repatriation expenses.
“So far we are not even at half-way, we are struggling with the fundraising, we need more USD19,500 (Sh1.78 million) to go. It may take six weeks from now to get somewhere,” said Mwaura.
They are such recent tragedies involving Kenyans abroad, that Kenyans living abroad are now calling for establishment of both a diaspora welfare insurance fund and and migrant workers welfare fund, just like other countries have adopted similar initiatives.
The diapsora welfare insurance fund is to cater for Kenyans in the diaspora either studying, living their while migrant workers welfare fund will cater for those working their for short contracts of two to three to four years.
Currently, about 400,000 Kenyans live and work abroad and their annual remittances now surpasses Sh1.1 trillion.
Once established, Mwaura said the two funds will cater for the high repatriation costs and save them from the financial struggles they always undergo to bring bodies home.
“Across the world, countries with significant diaspora populations have established strong, predictable, and dignified systems to support their citizens abroad, particularly in the event of death,” said Mwaura.
He added: “These global benchmarks demonstrate a clear international standard: when tragedy occurs far from home, the state, not grieving families, carries the responsibility of repatriation and welfare support.”
Mwaura gave an example of India and Philippines, which he said offers the most comprehensive models through their Community Welfare Fund and Overseas Workers Welfare Administration and which is managed under the Department of Migrant Workers respectively.
“All overseas Filipino workers are mandatorily enrolled in a welfare scheme that guarantees full repatriation of remains, burial assistance and related support. The system activates automatically, ensuring families never resort to public fundraising,” said Mwaura.
He also said Sri Lanka Bureau, Bangladesh, Turkey, Israel, China, Morocco and Nigeria are some of the countries that have established such funds or initiatives support their diaspora citizens.
“These global systems share a common foundation: mandatory or automatic enrollment, dedicated welfare funds, and standardised consular protocols that activate without delay,” said Mwaura.
He added: “They reflect a global understanding that the dignity of citizens abroad must be protected through structured, predictable and compassionate national frameworks.”
Mwaura said establishing a Diaspora Welfare Insurance Fund, supported by a centralised diaspora registration system and uniform consular protocols, would align Kenya with global best practices and ensure that no family is left to shoulder the burden of repatriation alone.
Such a framework, he said would bring predictability, dignity and national responsibility to situations that currently depend heavily on community goodwill.
Principal Secretary for Diaspora Affairs Roseline Njogu said they are aware of Kemunto's case and are working on it.
"Our welfare team is already handling the Felister Kemunto issue. On Karunda, we have not gotten that information but will check with my team if we have the case. When a person dies abroad, there are various roles the government of Kenya and that of where the person died and family should do," said PS Njogu.
She added: "Usually there is no obligation to the government to bring the body home, ideally family should do so. But on case by case basis, when a family, next of kin, local leader contacts us and make a request for help, we do due diligence and see if indeed the family is truly needy or tell us they have raised such and we help them with the little money that maybe available like we have done repatriation of 100 in 2025 alone," said PS Njogu.
The PS said unfortunately some families do not contact the department, wait until things have gone bad including being conned on social media and that is when they come to them for help. She said contacting the department can also be done on Ecitizen platform.
On diaspora welfare funds, she welcomed the need for such saying they already have been pushing for it.
"We have been conceptualising its formation and its still a policy paper and once formed will help solve the many challenges we have like evacuations and repatriations that we have been struggling to get funding from the exchequer. Once established, the government will put in some money same as the diaspora," said PS Njogu.
She added: "At the moment we do not have a separate fund but have tried to raise the issue with National Assembly time and again but not been able to get funding. What we do have is a government-funded initiative that allows us to pay on case by case basis depending on availability of money."
On migrant workers welfare fund, the Labour Migration and Management Bill (2023/2024) by the Ministry of Labour and Social Protection, seeks to introduce Kenya Migrant Workers Welfare Fund. The Bill recently went to the Cabinet for consideration.
