Tens of Kenyan students stranded in Khartoum, Sudan are now appealing to the Government to evacuate them.
The Standard is in possession of a video showing the students holed up in a room at the International University of Africa in the capital Khartoum, where fighting has been ongoing.
A source who could not be named told The Standard that they have been indoors since Saturday, April 15.
"When we got the message from the embassy to stay indoors, we converged in one of the university halls. Since then, we have been in the dark with no communication from the embassy," she said.
When reached for comment, an official at the Ministry said they were aware of the situation and are doing everything in their power to have them brought to safety.
"We are aware that students are stuck in Sudan. We know that the situation is very intense and we are working round the clock to evacuate them," Principal Secretary for Foreign and Diaspora Affairs Roseline Njogu said in a phone interview.
Foreign Affairs Cabinet Secretary Alfred Mutua was unreachable for a reply at the time of publishing.
The Ministry had earlier in the week told Kenyans in Sudan at the onset of the conflict to stay indoors and get in touch with the Ministry through social media and mobile contacts provided.
Despite the circular promising extraction of Kenyan citizens, the students are now complaining of lacking basic commodities to ensure their survival.
"They were planning to evacuate us; I don't know how long it will take them to do so. We are being served a bowl of food to cater to all the people in the room. We can't go to the shops since the situation outside is bad."
The university has been providing students with meals but in small quantities.
One student said that they got a communication from the Embassy to move to Khartoum 2 close to the Khartoum International Airport.
"Khartoum 2 was actually perceived to be a safer ground for evacuation. It's no longer safe here since the violence erupted and there was a bombing around the airport. We are really scared."
The students revealed that some of their colleagues from other African countries have been evacuated. "Though the embassy is currently working on our data to locate us, we are calling upon the Kenyan government to act with speed because we fear for our lives," she explained.
The Ministry revealed that there are about 3,000 Kenyan nationals working and living in Sudan.
A day after the fighting broke out, CS Mutua assured Kenyans that they had everything under control.
"I want to assure Kenyans that we are aligned. We have talked to Kenya Airways to get ready to bring our citizens back home if things get out of hand in Sudan," Mutua said.
The CS pleaded with Kenyans in the diaspora to register with the Embassy in a bid to expedite an evacuation process should a similar crisis unfold.
On her part, Njogu urged all Kenyans in Sudan to urgently contact the Embassy in Khartoum for evacuation.
"We are asking Kenyans in Sudan to register with the agency as urgently as possible. Anybody who has access to their phone should register via text message or WhatsApp as that is still working. We have also asked families and friends in Kenya to reach out to the Ministry with the details of their kin in Sudan," she said in an interview with BBC on April 20.
Kenyans who want to be evacuated have been urged to send their names, passport numbers, exact locations, and details of their kin to +249900194854.
The death toll in the Sudan conflict now stands at 400, and more than 3,000 people have been wounded.
