Orengo, Wanjigi blocked from flying out, spend night at JKIA

Siaya Senator James Orengo and businessman Jimmi Wanjigi were on Monday night blocked from flying out of the country despite the court lifting a suspension of their passports by the government.

In a statement sent to newsrooms on Tuesday morning, Director of Immigration Services Gordon Kihalangwa said the Immigration department had not been served with the court order by the time Orengo and Wanjigi were set to travel.

“When the two arrived at JKIA, they were requested to avail the copies of the said court orders but they had none. Instead they showed some writings in their phones purporting to be the court orders. The two could not be allowed to proceed with their journey until copies of the said orders were availed,” read the statement.

The two arrived at the airport at around 9pm and were set to travel to Harare, Zimbabwe where they were to  join NASA leader Raila Odinga ahead of the burial of opposition icon Morgan Tsvangirai.

After being barrred from travelling, they were forced to spend the night at the Jomo Kenyatta International Airport waiting clearance.

A video surfaced of Mr. Wanjigi demanding his passport from a JKIA official to no avail. A Twitter account bearing Wanjigi’s name posted an image of the businessman holding a passport with Mr. Orengo in the background sipping tea.

Passport returned after an all night vigil at jkia pic.twitter.com/MQpFdhMhEt

— Jimi Wanjigi (@JimiWanjigi) February 20, 2018

Mr. Kihalangwa, however, said Orengo and Wanjigi would be allowed to leave the country once the Immigration Department receives the court order.

Judge John Mativo temporarily lifted the government decision to suspend passports of seven key opposition figures among them Orengo, Wanjigi and NASA strategist David Ndii pending the hearing of a case they filed on the same matter.

While granting the orders, Justice Mativo directed the matter be filed and served upon the respondents who were also ordered to appear for an inter-party hearing on Monday, February 26, 2018.

In the petition filed at the Milimani Law courts, the leaders argue that the government action to suspend their passports is “unreasonable, grossly heavy handed and unjustified in an open democratic society.”