By Agencies

A Kenyan man who was detained in Zimbabwe while attempting an unusual journey from South Africa back home has returned to the country after intervention from diplomatic officials and members of the Kenyan community abroad.

Peter Githami, 26, arrived at Jomo Kenyatta International Airport on Thursday night, July 16, following weeks of uncertainty after he was arrested at the Beitbridge border crossing between Zimbabwe and South Africa.

According to a report by TUKO, Githami had been trying to travel to Kenya by road and on foot after losing his travel documents while living in South Africa.

His journey came to an abrupt stop when Zimbabwean authorities detained him for entering the country without valid identification papers.

“Every week, I saw new people being released. I kept asking myself, ‘Why am I still here?’ I wasn’t a criminal. My only offence was not having travel documents,” he said.

Githami’s situation gained attention after his story circulated publicly, prompting assistance from the Kenyan Embassy in Zimbabwe and members of the Kenyan community living in the country.

The group helped facilitate his release and raised funds to support his return flight to Kenya.

The journey had started months earlier after Githami expressed interest online in whether it was possible to walk from South Africa to Kenya. He later began travelling northwards, hoping to make his way home despite the challenges along the route.

Before leaving South Africa, Githami said he had experienced a frightening encounter in which he was pursued by individuals in a vehicle after refusing to stop at a gate near his residence. He managed to escape while riding a motorcycle.

“The only reason I survived is that I was on a motorbike, which could go where a car couldn’t,” he said.

South Africa has experienced repeated outbreaks of xenophobic violence, prompting governments, including Kenya, to organise the return of their citizens.

Another Kenyan, Ruth Wambui, also recently returned home after spending 13 years in South Africa. She said anti-migrant protests destroyed her home, leaving her and her children homeless before they were repatriated to Kenya.