High Court halts deportation of two South Sudanese from Kenya

A human rights group says Samuel Dong and Aggrey Idris are facing an imminent risk of deportation to South Sudan after Kenyan authorities detained them on January 23, 2017. FILE PHOTO | NATION MEDIA GROUP

What you need to know:

  • Justice Luka Kimaru issued the order after lawyers representing the families of Samuel Dong and Aggrey Idris sued to compel the state to explain their disappearance.
  • The families had complained that the official had called them seeking to know the details of an affidavit filed in the case though it had not been taken to court.
  • The judge has also directed all mobile phone service providers to provide data on the missing people's communications.

A High Court has ordered the director of Immigration to ensure that two South Sudanese nationals who have been missing since Monday are not deported from Kenya.

Justice Luka Kimaru issued the order after lawyers representing the families of Samuel Dong and Aggrey Idris sued to compel the state to explain their disappearance.

Justice Kimaru has directed County Criminal Investigations Officer Nicholas Kamwende to take over the case and investigate the alleged disappearance and then present a report in court next Tuesday.

The judge directed that a senior security official working for the government of South Sudan here in Kenya be investigated on whether he has any connection to the disappearance.

The families had complained that the official had called them seeking to know the details of an affidavit filed in the case though it had not been taken to court.

The judge has also directed all mobile phone service providers to provide data on the missing people's communications.

Justice Kimaru insisted that the missing people should not be deported from Kenya.