Kenyan Businessman Flees South Africa with Only a Sack After Xenophobic Attacks Destroy 12-Year-Old Electronics Empire

LCC TV NEWS

Hundreds of Kenyans are returning home with nothing but the clothes on their backs after a devastating wave of xenophobic attacks in South Africa shattered their lives and dreams. Among them, a businessman who spent 12 years building a successful electronics shop has been forced to return to Kenya with only a sack, leaving behind his South African wife, their two children, and the life he had painstakingly built .

The mass exodus follows a weeks-long campaign of intimidation and violence by vigilante groups who issued a June 30 ultimatum for all undocumented immigrants to leave the country . This ultimatum sparked widespread chaos, with gangs ransacking foreign-owned businesses and going door-to-door, evicting families .

The Human Cost of a Crisis

The stories of the returnees paint a picture of profound loss and trauma. Simon Chege, who had lived in South Africa for 22 years, is one of the many who made the agonizing decision to flee. He returned alone, his wife and four children still in the country, while his business and years of investment were abandoned . "South Africans are not all bad, but there are a bunch of bad people. This time round they took it seriously. They were going house to house, evicting people," Chege recounted .

Another returnee, Martin Oduor, was forced to leave behind his two daughters, including one who had just graduated from university, and his South African ex-wife . Adan Mohammed Osman witnessed his shop, which he had run for 15 years, being seized and ransacked .

The trauma is evident. Mike Mwita, who witnessed mobs killing people, is convinced every Kenyan will eventually be forced out. "Even though you have papers and you still want to stay there, the police will come, you'll show them the papers, and they will go. What about those [mobs]? They don't care whether you have papers or not," he stated .

A Nation's Response and a Personal Reflection

The Kenyan government has been facilitating the repatriation of its citizens, with over 266 Kenyans brought back home as of early July . The final repatriation flight is scheduled to depart on July 9, 2026 . Kenyans arriving in Nairobi undergo debriefing and personalized counselling, with many breaking down during the process .

The situation has sparked a deeper reflection on the risks of building a life abroad. The story of the businessman who lost everything serves as a stark warning. "When citizens in the country you are in wake up one day to kick foreigners out, whatever you achieved in that country will be destroyed in a snap of a finger," said an observer. "Priority number one should be establishing your presence in your home country. If all goes wrong you can still return to a comfortable life." This sentiment echoes the fears of many who now see their future in Kenya, with one bus driver emphatically stating, "I will never go there even to greet someone... It is very dangerous. You have to constantly look behind your back"