Firebrand Politician Deported as Court Fines Top Kenya Officials

(Bloomberg) -- Three top Kenyan officials were fined for contempt of court after they defied orders to free an opposition politician and instead deported him for a second time, the latest fallout from last year's disputed elections.

Judge George Odunga said the heads of the East African nation's interior ministry, police and immigration had “exhibited unimaginable contempt” in ignoring summons to appear for the case regarding Miguna Miguna, a firebrand campaigner who authorities detained on entry this week and deported to the United Arab Emirates. Odunga fined the three officials 200,000 shillings ($1,980) each.

The court case was the latest twist in a tale with roots in the troubled 2017 elections that rattled East Africa's biggest economy and caused months of political paralysis. While President Uhuru Kenyatta was declared victor after a repeat vote, the opposition led by veteran politician Raila Odinga boycotted the rerun and initially rejected the result.

Odinga, who's since reconciled with Kenyatta, was sworn in as the so-called people's president in late January. Miguna, an adviser to Odinga, advocate and self-declared “general” of the opposition National Resistance Movement, was deported on Feb. 6, accused of carrying an illegal Kenyan passport that was acquired at a time when dual nationality was illegal.

‘Dragged, Assaulted'

On attempting to return this week, Miguna was held at the airport in Kenya's capital, Nairobi, and eventually put on a flight to the U.A.E. late Wednesday.

“I was dragged, assaulted, drugged and forcefully flown to Dubai,” he said in a text message. “I woke up in Dubai and the despots are here insisting that I must travel on to London. I am sick. I need urgent help here. I want to take a flight only to Nairobi.”

The three officials handed fines -- Interior Secretary Fred Matiang'i, police Inspector-General Joseph Boinett and Immigration Principal Secretary Gordon Kihalangwa -- didn't appear in court for the sentencing.

Kihalangwa didn't answer two calls to his mobile phone, while Interior Ministry spokesman Mwenda Njoka wasn't available for comment. Police spokesman Charles Owino said he couldn't comment on immigration matters.

Miguna's lawyer, Nelson Havi, said his client didn't have travel documents because his Canadian passport had been confiscated. Immigration authorities in Dubai had indicated they would send Miguna back to Kenya on Thursday, he said.

“The rule of law seems to have been jettisoned into the sea,” Havi said by phone. “We will not give up. We will follow due process until a remedy is received.”

To contact the reporter on this story: Samuel Gebre in Nairobi at sgebre@bloomberg.net.

To contact the editors responsible for this story: Paul Richardson at pmrichardson@bloomberg.net, Helen Nyambura, Michael Gunn

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