Govt deploys KQ plane to fly home Kenyans in Libya

By David Ochami and Alex Ndegwa

The Government has dispatched a chartered Kenya Airways flight to evacuate Kenyans willing to leave the crisis-torn Libya, Parliament was told.

Foreign Affairs Assistant Minister Richard Onyonka said there are 94 Kenyans living in Libyan capital Tripoli and four other cities.

He said the Kenyan ambassador along with four family members are safe. He added the Government was exploring alternative means to protect them due to the breakdown of order.

Earlier, acting minister George Saitoti had confirmed there are 94 known Kenyans living in Libya, but none of them is a mercenary supporting the collapsing regime in Tripoli.

Prof Saitoti said there was a state of urgency about Kenyans in Libya "where the situation is unpredictable" but also growing concern about Kenyan citizens in Bahrain, which is also facing civil unrest.

He said the Government had no figures of Kenyans in Bahrain and had no immediate plans to fly them home, but was expected to deploy a plane to return them home although there were no direct flights between Kenya and Libya.

Current crisis

"I am not aware of Kenyans in Libya fighting for (Muammar) Gaddafi," said Saitoti, referring to the Libyan leader. "(The) Kenya Government has not sent people to go to Libya and involve (themselves) in the affairs of Libya."

Foreign news reports from Libya where anti-government protestors want to overthrow Gaddafi’s regime indicate the Gaddafi has deployed mercenaries from sub-Saharan Africa to prop him.

There has been suspicion some Kenyans could have joined Libyan militia in recent years, but Prof Saitoti said the Government, which has deepened ties with the Northern nation, is not aware of any Kenyan involved in the current crisis.

Under the Kibaki regime Libya and Kenya have grown politically and diplomatically closer and signed several trade deals.

Saitoti, who is also Internal Security minister, told Parliament’s Committee on Defence and Foreign Relations the 94 Kenyans include seven diplomatic staff in Tripoli and 87 others in legitimate business, mainly construction work.