Interior Principal Secretary, Karanja Kibicho, has set the record straight regarding the current standoff between exiled lawyer, Miguna Miguna, and the government.
Kibicho told the High Court on Thursday, November 18, that the government had not issued any red alerts blocking international airlines from flying Miguna into the country.
In his direct message to the lawyer, Kibicho instructed Miguna to acquire his travel papers at the Kenya High Commission in Ottawa, Canada. He maintained that is the only way Miguna will fly back into the country.
The lawyer was deported in 2018 after overseeing the swearing-in of Orange Democratic Movement (ODM) party leader, Raila Odinga, as the People's President at the Uhuru Park grounds in Nairobi.
“I confirm that no government agency has issued any so-called red alert to Air France and Lufthansa Group (operating as German Airlines) in relation to Miguna’s travel to Kenya,” Kibicho stated.
Kibicho insisted that the government cannot allow Miguna to enter the country just by using his national identity card.
Justifying his arguments, Kibicho told the court that Miguna was traveling on a Canadian passport as a Canadian citizen and, therefore, he requires a visa to be allowed to board a flight to Kenya.
Since his deportation, Miguna has tried twice to return to the country. His attempt was on November 16, 2021, where he claimed that he was stopped from boarding Air France at Berlin’s Brandenburg Airport.
The outspoken lawyer blamed the Kenyan government for issuing a red alert that barred international airlines from flying him to the country.
His legal team led by lawyer John Khaminwa and Law Society of Kenya President, Nelson Havi, moved to court seeking to have the red alert lifted to allow him to re-enter the country.
In their application, they indicated that Miguna should be accorded “immediate next available flight to Paris, France, enroute to Nairobi, Kenya, and disregard any red alert or restriction by the Government of Kenya”.
The matter has now been left to be decided by the court. Presiding Judge Hedwig Ong’undi told both sides that the verdict will be issued on November 22, 2021.
