Maina Kiai temporarily blocked from boarding a flight at JKIA

Human rights activist and one of the Africa for Open Governance (AfriCOG) Director, Maina Kiai, was on Sunday morning (August 20) allegedly blocked from boarding a plane at the Jomo Kenyatta International Airport (JKIA).

Reports indicate that Mr. Kiai, who is the former United Nations Special Rapporteur on Peaceful Assembly and Association Rights, was approached by immigration officials, who demanded that he produces clearance to travel, at JKIA – despite not being a state official.

However, it took the intervention of Director of Immigration Services, Gordon Kihalangwa, for the vocal human rights activist to be allowed to board his flight to Prague, Czech Republic via Amsterdam.

“We don’t have any orders from stopping Mr. Maina or any person of his kind from travelling out of the country. Take it from me that he was not detained and neither was he subjected to anything suspicious but we have a duty to randomly check people,” said Kihalangwa.

This comes just five days after Independent Electoral and Boundaries Commission (IEBC) Commissioner, Roselyn Akombe, was also temporarily blocked from boarding a flight to the United States (U.S.).