April 22, 2026
Kenya Repatriates 4 Abducted Turkish Nationals Despite Asylum Rights Infringement

Kenya Repatriates 4 Abducted Turkish Nationals Despite Asylum Rights Infringement

Foreign Principal Secretary Kipkori Sing’oei confirmed on Monday that the Kenyan government had returned four Turkish nationals who were allegedly abducted in Nairobi on Friday last week to their home country.

According to the Principal Secretary, the four were repatriated to their home country at the request of the government.

Sing’oei, on the other hand, stated that the Turkish government had assured Kenya that it would respect human rights while dealing with the four.

“Kenya confirms that four Nationals of the Republic of Türkiye were repatriated to their home country on Friday, 18 October 2024, at the request of the government of Turkiye,” Sing’oei revealed in a statement. 

“Kenya acceded to this request on the strength of the robust historical and strategic relations anchored on bilateral instruments between our respective countries,” he added.

According to Sing’oei, the four Turkish citizens had been living in Kenya as refugees before the decision to return them to their home country was made.

“The four have been residing in Kenya as refugees. The Ministry of Foreign and Diaspora Affairs has received assurances from the Turkish authorities that the four will be treated with dignity in keeping with national and international law,” he added.

According to the PS, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs will not answer media inquiries regarding the individuals until an ongoing review of the said refugees is complete.

This will allow Kenya to grant them the right to privacy while also assisting both governments in maintaining the matter’s confidentiality.

“Kenya is committed to the privacy and confidentiality of the repatriated individuals and will refrain from responding to media inquiries on the subject until the ongoing inter-agency review of the case is complete,” the PS stated.

“Kenya assures the international community of its unswerving commitment to the protection and promotion of refugee rights as prescribed under national and international law.

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“As such, the rights, welfare and well-being of the more than 780,000 refugees residing in the country will remain the government’s singular priority,” he added.

The four were among a group of seven people who were allegedly kidnapped by unknown people in Nairobi on Friday and picked up from various locations.

They were abducted alongside a British national, who revealed that on the fateful day, two vehicles intercepted and blocked them from the front and back, and the occupants emerged fully armed before attempting the risky maneuver.

“About eight persons armed with weapons emerged from the two vehicles, pulled out the two occupants and drove off with them,” Police Spokesperson Resila Onyango told the media. 

Kenya Repatriates 4 Abducted Turkish Nationals Despite Asylum Rights Infringement

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