Kenya-Taiwan authorities locked in deportation row

Kenya is on the spot over claims by Taiwan that it subjected some 45 suspects from the Asian country to horrendous treatment and human rights abuse before forcibly deporting them to China in April this year.

The suspects were arrested in Kenya over claims of engaging in telecommunications fraud and were charged in local courts before the government issued deportation orders.

Taiwan is concerned that despite the suspects having been granted travel visas on account of holding the Taiwan passports, Kenyan authorities decided to deport them to Beijing.

The Taiwan authorities now claim that an attempt to resist forcible deportation to a foreign country by the Taiwanese was met with ruthlessness and brutality after police in Industrial area prison threw teargas canisters into the cells to evict resistant detainees.

An envoy from Taiwan dispatched to negotiate with Kenyan authorities to initiate a process of repatriating of the Taiwanese, now detained in China, has further claimed that Kenyan authorities have been dodging him.

Mr John Chung Chen - who is Taiwan’s representative in South Africa - was in the country last week to follow up on two letters written to Kenya’s Interior Cabinet Secretary Joseph Nkaissery and his Foreign Affairs counterpart Amina Mohammed by Taiwan authorities.

In a letter to Mr Nkaissery dated June 29, which is yet to be responded to, the Taiwan government complains about the handling of the whole matter.

“Horrifying video footage later revealed the 15 Taiwan nationals unwilling to travel to China, had barricaded themselves in a Nairobi jail cell before Kenyan police armed with assault rifles smashed through the door and used teargas to force the suspects out,” said the Taiwanese letter seen by the Sunday Nation.

Though Taiwan has no diplomatic ties with Kenya, it considers the deportation an assault against their authority

“I have been to Nairobi severally trying to catch up with foreign affairs officials but they keep playing cat and mouse games with us,” said Mr Chen.

But the Kenyan government told the Sunday Nation that it deported the 45 Taiwanese to China because they came to Kenya through Beijing.

Foreign Affairs Principal Secretary Monica Juma said that a decision to extradite the Taiwanese to China was not in bad faith.

Attorney General Githu Muigai was unable to make a straight comment on the matter.

He said: “I am in China leading government of Kenya delegation to negotiate a mutual assistance treaty.”

Asked about the matter, Foreign Affairs Cabinet Secretary Amina Mohamed said she needs to get more details in order to make a response.