Kenyan opposition firebrand Miguna deported, again
Miguna Miguna reacts after the Immigration department denied him entry into the country without a Kenyan visa at the Jomo Kenyatta International Airport on March 26, 2018, in Nairobi. PHOTO | SIMON MAINA | AFP
One of his lawyers, Mr Nelson Havi, confirmed that Dr Miguna was taken out of Kenya via a Dubai-bound EK722 flight.
Lawyer Cliff Ombeta, who also represented Dr Miguna, confirmed that his client was deported via EK722 to Dubai.
He alleged that Dr Miguna “was sedated, handcuffed and taken away”.
Kenya opposition firebrand politician Dr Miguna Miguna has been deported, again, despite a court order directing the government to release him from detention at Jomo Kenyatta airport in Nairobi.
The fiery lawyer and National Super Alliance (Nasa) activist was ejected on Wednesday evening after spending more than 72 hours in a tiny room he described as a "toilet" near Terminal 2.
Dr Miguna Miguna in the "toilet" cell he spent 72 hours at Jomo Kenyatta International Airport in Nairobi before he was deported on March 28, 2018. PHOTO | COURTESY.
One of his lawyers, Mr Nelson Havi, said Dr Miguna was taken out of Kenya via a Dubai-bound EK722 flight.
Lawyer Cliff Ombeta, who also represented Dr Miguna, confirmed that his client was deported to Dubai.
He alleged that Dr Miguna “was sedated, handcuffed and taken away”.
Dr Miguna Miguna's court that was allegedly torn as police roughed him up. PHOTO | COURTESY.
The Nation could not immediately confirm that allegation as the airport was on police lockdown on Wednesday night, with police in full combat gear purging journalists and lawyers who attempted to access Dr Miguna.
The lawyers had gone to the airport to serve court orders directing his release when they were roughed up.
Some sources claimed the exit Dr Miguna, the self-declared ‘general’ of the National Resistance Movement (NRM), a wing of the Nasa formed to champion resistance against products of firms deemed friendly and financiers of the ruling Jubilee government, was facilitated by Canada.
“Canada was strict on flying rules which he obeyed,” the source told the Nation.
Dual citizenship
The lawyer holds Canadian citizenship and has denied government claims that he acquired it after ceasing to be a Kenyan in 1998.
Dr Miguna, who ran for Nairobi governorship in Kenya's August 8, 2017 General Election and has two homes, one in the capital and the other in Nyando, Kisumu County, insists he is a Kenyan by birth.
Flight EK722 was destined for United Arab Emirate (UAE), a country Dr Miguna flatly rejected to be flown to on Monday night.
Earlier Wednesday, High Court Judge George Odunga had ordered Interior Cabinet Secretary Fred Matiang’i, Immigration chief Gordon Kihalang’wa and Police boss Joseph Boinnet to release Dr Miguna from detention at JKIA, an order they defied.
"The three are hereby convicted accordinglyand should appear before this court tomorrow at 10am,” Justice Odunga ruled.
Judge Odunga criticised the three officials for disobeying the court with impunity.
In their defence, two junior State lawyers claimed the trio were unreachable because they were attending a General Service Unit graduation.
Reported by Fred Mukinda, Leopold Obbi and Harry Misiko.
