Miguna clashes with JKIA officials after landing from Canada

A standoff ensued at the Jomo Kenyatta International Airport on Monday afternoon after controversial lawyer-cum-politician Miguna Miguna returned to Kenya from Canada.

Miguna, who was deported to Canada in February, was denied entry into Kenya with Immigration officials at JKIA demanding that he applies for a temporary visa.

One of Miguna’s lawyers, Cliff Ombeta, told journalists at the airport that the firebrand political activist had been asked to surrender his Canadian passport at JKIA, a demand they declined sparking a standoff.

It is understood that the Immigration officials are treating Miguna as a Canadian citizen after his Kenyan passport was revoked and seized before his dramatic deportation.

The officials want Miguna to apply for a 6-month tourist Visa to allow him stay in Kenya.

However, the self-declared general has declined to apply for a visa, prompting the officials to bar him from leaving the airport clearance area.

By 9pm, six hours since he touched down at JKIA, Miguna was still held up at the airport over the visa issue.

Lawyers James Orengo, John Khaminwa, Judy Soweto and Nelson Havi were with Miguna at the airport trying to secure his clearance.

Interior Ministry spokesman Mwenda Njoka confirmed the standoff at JKIA, saying Miguna had declined to surrender his travel document as required by law.

“The Government has not denied Miguna Miguna entry into the country. Upon arrival at JKIA he was asked to present the passport he travelled in. He declined. It is a requirement under law & IATA regulations for travellers to show the documents they travelled in at the point of entry,” said Mr. Njoka.

Miguna’s return comes exactly a month after the High Court in Nairobi directed the government to issue him with a travel document to enable him re-entry into Kenya pending the hearing and determination of a case he filed challenging his deportation.

Justice Chacha Mwita on February 26 ruled that should the government fail to issue Miguna with a travel document, then the self-declared NRM general should be at liberty to use his Canadian passport to regain entry into Kenya.