Interior Cabinet Secretary (CS) Fred Matiang'i appears to have soften his stand on Miguna Miguna's citizenship saga and is now more than ready to facilitate his return from Canada, but on condition he will co-operate with the authorities.
Addressing Parliament's Security Committee on Tuesday, April 3, Matiang'i admitted the besieged Miguna is indeed a Kenyan citizen by birth and would only need to regularise his citizenship in accordance with the 2010 Constitution.
Interior Cabinet Secretary (CS) Fred Matiang'i rubbished reports the government failed to facilitate return of lawyer Miguna Miguna and re-deported him.Photo: Vitctor Imboto.
"There is no doubt Miguna was born in Kenya. But in line with the 2010 constitution, any one who took up citizenship of another country lost his or her Kenyan citizenship. Parliament enacted a law on how one regains that citizenship," he said.
Matiang'i clarified the use of Kenyan ID as a travel document is only applicable to those traveling between and within the East Africa Northern Corridor nations, that is, Kenya, Uganda, Rwanda and Southern Sudan.
Lawyer Miguna Miguna receiving treatment in Canada after he was re-deported via Dubia upon his dramatic return to Kenya.Photo: Citizen TV.
Immigration Principal Secretary (PS) Gordon Kihalangwa, who also appeared before the Security Committee, alongside Matiang'i and Inspector General of Police Joseph Boinnet, added the ID card that is in Miguna's possession is an illegal document.
"He must apply for a new one while applying for a passport," Kihalangwa told the Security Committee members.
Miguna was re-deported back to Canada via Dubai after he declined to produce his travel documents upon his arrival at Jomo Kenyatta International Airport (JKIA) on March 26.
The self-proclaimed National Resistance Movement (NRM) leader instead brandished his national ID card as proof he was a Kenyan and should be allowed to enter the country freely.
The authorities did not agree with Miguna, leading to a stand-off and drama that lasted for days.
Matiang'i, however, rubbished media reports that Miguna was detained and re-deported.
The CS told MPs the barrister was removed from the airport as an undocumented passenger on transit after he refused to surrender his travel documents.
"Miguna was not detained. He was not in custody of the police. He himself has admitted he deliberately refused to surrender his passport," Matiang'i said.
