Kenyans in diaspora urge State to allow Miguna in

A section of Kenyans living abroad have taken issue with the continued standoff between the government and fiery lawyer Miguna Miguna who is currently holed up in Germany.

A UK-based pressure group calling itself “Diaspora For Change” said in a statement on Thursday that there was an increasing tendency by the political class to emasculate independence of the Judiciary by refusing to uphold court orders and comply with the rule of law.

“We are gravely concerned by the decision of the Jubilee government in Nairobi to resort to illegally continuing with its policy of forced exile of its critic, human rights and civil society leader Miguna Miguna. Despite several court orders requiring the government to allow, facilitate and not to interfere with the return of Miguna Miguna ... the leadership has refused to comply and continues to flagrantly disobey these court orders,” the statement signed by Hezekiah Owili, Aggrey Kikaya and Sebastian Onyango on behalf of Diaspora for Change, said in part.

They said the trend by the government was worrying Kenyans at home and abroad as it sets a bad precedent.

“It implies that the law in Kenya can be applied selectively at the whim of the political class. This should worry not only Miguna but all Kenyans from all walks of life, especially those in the diaspora who hold dual citizenship ...We demand that Mr Miguna Miguna is allowed free and unconditional return to his homeland.”

The government on Wednesday distanced itself from Miguna's travel woes saying

he was a victim of his own unruly behaviour.

Spokesman Cyrus Oguna denied claims that the State had frustrated the lawyer's efforts to return to the country, arguing that the failure of his trip to Kenya, twice on Tuesday, was as a result of the events of March 2018, which had culminated in Dr Miguna being categorised as an unruly passenger.

Col (rtd) Oguna said the International Civil Aviation Organisation (ICAO) had categorised Dr Miguna as an unruly passenger as a result of the commotion he caused at the Jomo Kenyatta International Airport (JKIA) before the government deported him to Canada for the second time on March 27, 2018.

“Dr Miguna was categorised as an unruly passenger in line with Annex 17 of ICAO standards and recommended practices that allow prohibition of unruly passengers,” he said.

Col Oguna issued the statement as the High Court tasked the government to file a response on a red alert advisory that saw Dr Miguna stopped from flying into Kenya on Tuesday.