Hundreds of Kenyan families are scrambling for answers after the Trump administration abruptly cancelled nearly 6,000 international student visas.
The revocation, linked to a wider immigration shake-up aimed at bolstering national security, has upended study plans for young people from Kenya and several other nations.
Learners who thought their academic paths were secure are now packing bags, seeking legal advice or frantically applying to institutions that may still honour their paperwork.
Even students who have complied fully with visa rules have been caught in the dragnet. Beyond lost classroom time, many face the prospect of abandoning friendships, budding careers and part-time jobs that help fund their studies.
For parents back home, the financial and emotional toll is steep. Years of sacrifice risk collapsing overnight, and loans taken to finance overseas education now hang over households with no clear path to repayment.
The US government insists the cancellations are part of broader security reforms rather than a targeted strike on international learners.
Still, the fallout has landed disproportionately on young Africans. With departure deadlines looming, thousands of affected students wait for clarity, hoping for a policy reprieve or a chance to transfer before the new academic year.
