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Matiang’i wants judges probed in Miguna row

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Interior secretary Fred Matiang’i. FILE PHOTO | NMG

The Ministry of Interior has petitioned the Judicial Service Commission (JSC) and the Law Society of Kenya (LSK) to investigate judges and lawyers who handled the saga surrounding the deportation of Miguna Miguna.

Interior secretary Fred Matiang’i told Parliament that the government has also appealed a High Court ruling issued by Justice George Odunga that fined him, Inspector General Joseph Boinett and Immigration PS Gordon Kihalangwa Sh200,000 each for failing to appear before court in person and to produce Dr Miguna.

Dr Miguna returned from Canada where he had been deported to after swearing in Nasa leader Raila Odinga as the people’s president and caused a four-day drama at the busy Jomo Kenyatta International Airport leading to his second deportation via Dubai after refusing to surrender his Canadian passport for stamping by Immigration officials.

Dr Miguna also tore documents he was given to regularise his Kenyan citizenship, which Dr Matiang’i said he renounced in June 2017 by renewing his Canadian passport. 
He said 3,000 Kenyan had regularised their citizenship since 2010 and Dr Miguna will get his documents if he signs the papers available online anytime.

He said Dr Miguna will, however, need to apply afresh for the Kenyan passport and identity card because what he has was fraudulently given to him by late Immigration minister Otieno Kajwang’.

“I will table a file showing how Dr Miguna got his Kenyan documents fraudulently. We were to charge him with fraud,” he said.

READ: Miguna Miguna refuses to fill citizenship forms at JKIA in Nairobi

Dr Matiang’i accused a clique of judicial officials of conspiring with activist lawyers and civil society groups to sabotage the Executive arm of government.

“There is an evil clique of judicial officers working with activist lawyers and civil society who is determined to ensure executive branch of government doesn’t function. They issue orders after orders.

“We have written to the JSC and the LSK through the Attorney General to investigate the judges and lawyers. There are about five judges that we have complained about,” Dr Matiang’i told the National Assembly Committee on Security chaired by Kiambaa MP Paul Koinange.

Dr Matiang’i said whereas the Ministry, the Immigration and Police complied with all court orders directing that they facilitate the return of Dr Miguna and his production in court, the Judiciary condemned them unheard.