Even as dozens of Kenyans living in the UK rush to come back home amid coronavirus pandemic in the British kingdom, four Kenyan students have taken the unpopular decision of staying.
Three of the students from the University of Edinburgh – Brenda Kageni, Veronica Winja and Daniel Mutia – and University of Reading’s Mumo Liku weighed the pros and cons of returning to Kenya and saw staying in the UK is the best option.
In an interview with the Star, the students said although they are facing some difficulties with lockdown and having to carry on with their studies online, they say they are not stranded at all.
Besides, they have not contracted the virus even as it sweeps across Britain.
“The first week of staying at home was so hard for me. All I did was curl up in my bed with so many fears. I wasn’t productive. However, with support from God, my family and the school, I managed,” Winja, 27, pursuing an MSc in International Business and Emerging Markets said.
Mumo, an MA in Creative Enterprise student explained that his decision to stay was after long consideration with his parents and the best decision was for him to stay owing to a litany of hurdles for inbound passengers who are required to quarantine between 14-28 days in Kenya.
“Furthermore, my family felt it was better for me to stay here since the healthcare system is in a better position to treat me if I was to be infected,” he adds.
Mutia, a 23-year old Electronics and Electrical Engineering student also factored the cost of quarantine in Kenya and internet connectivity and decided to stay in the UK where he is currently continuing with his studies.
Winja,27, who only remains with her dissertation maintained that the good study environment kept her in the UK.
“Initially, my goal was to protect my family. The UK was highly exposed and I didn’t think I was safe, too. But with time, other factors, such as a good study environment, love for the city and of course, the sun, kept me here.”
For 21-year old Kageni who is pursuing Biomedical sciences, the fear of contracting COVID-19 in quarantine centres in Kenya made her stay.
“Personally, I am afraid of contracting the disease at the quarantine centres after managing to come all the way home,” she says.
Of the four, they feel that social media and media outlets have hyped the novel coronavirus which stirs a lot of anxiety. They have either deactivated their social media accounts or shunned watching the news and staying away from social media.
Last week, Kenya’s Foreign Affairs Ministry announced that Kenyans in the UK would be ‘repatriated’ at their own cost. The flight will leave Heathrow Airport in London Monday, May 4.
