Miguna’s deportation should not serve as a death sentence for Matiang’i’s presidential ambitions – ODM Senator
Miguna’s deportation should not serve as a death sentence for Matiang’i’s presidential ambitions - ODM Senator
Kisii Senator Richard Onyonka has defended former Interior Cabinet Secretary Fred Matiang’i from controversies during this tenure including the 2018 deportation of lawyer Miguna Miguna.
In an interview on Monday, May 3, Onyonka acknowledged that Matiang’i mishandled the deportation, and even urged him to apologise to Miguna.
However, the senator maintained that the incident should not serve as a political death sentence for Matiang’i’s presidential ambitions.
“I think Fred Matiang’i mishandled the Miguna Miguna scenario; I have mentioned publicly and said that I think Miguna deserves an apology from Matiang’i unequivocally. I think it is important for him to explain the circumstances that those decisions were being made,” the senator said.
Onyonka noted that the political field in Kenya is far from perfect and argued that no candidate is without indeficiencies.
“Should that disqualify him from running for president? No, why? Because show me any of the guys running for president who has better record or worse record; we are nearly all the same. Thugs, crooks and something in between,” he added.
In 2018, Miguna was deported twice from the country after administering a symbolic oath to Raila Odinga, declaring him the People’s President following the disputed 2017 presidential elections.
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The government deemed this act treasonous and in response, authorities arrested Miguna in a dawn raid.
Despite multiple court orders demanding his release, Miguna was held incommunicado for several days before being forcibly deported to Canada where he holds dual citizenship.
The government claimed that Miguna had renounced his Kenyan citizenship, a point he disputed, asserting that he was a Kenyan by birth and had never relinquished his nationality.
A month after his deportation, in March 2018, Miguna attempted to return to Kenya but upon arrival at the Jomo Kenyatta International Airport, he was denied entry and detained for several days.
Authorities insisted he apply for a visa, treating him as a foreign national, which he refused, citing his Kenyan birthright.
Days later, Miguna was forcibly deported again, this time to Dubai.
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