Kenya to appeal ‘deportation’
NAIROBI: Kenya’s government will shortly appeal a court ruling that reversed the deportation of a lawyer who “swore in” opposition leader Raila Odinga as “president”, a senior interior ministry official has said.
Miguna Miguna, who holds dual Kenyan and Canadian citizenship, is in Canada after being put on a flight to Toronto by the Kenyan government earlier this month following several days of being held in police detention.
His expulsion came after he was charged with treason over the “swearing-in” ceremony.
The high court in Nairobi had issued several orders that he be allowed to appear before it, which the government ignored.
The case exposed a deepening rift between Kenyatta’s government and the judiciary, which had nullified his initial re-election and ordered a repeat election, which Odinga then boycotted.
Odinga justified his “swearing in” by saying he had won the initial August 8 election which was then invalidated by the Supreme Court.
Asked for reaction to yesterday’s ruling, the Kenyan interior ministry, which ordered Miguna’s deportation, referred Reuters to the state law office.
Miguna welcomed the court ruling, tweeting: “(We) are fully committed to the rule of law. We shall use the constitution as the spear and the shield in the fight.” – Reuters