{UAH} Something very wrong with the Miguna man - now turns his gun turrets at Canada. Lol

Canadian lawyer says federal government failed him during ordeal in Kenya

Open this photo in gallery:

In this photo taken Jan. 30, 2018, opposition politician Miguna Miguna, center, raises his fist as a gesture to the crowd as he stands next to opposition leader Raila Odinga, center-right, and politician James Orengo, far right, as Odinga holds an oath during a mock "swearing-in" ceremony at Uhuru Park in downtown Nairobi, Kenya.

BEN CURTIS, FILE/AP PHOTO

MICHELLE ZILIO

OTTAWA

PUBLISHED 42 MINUTES AGOUPDATED FEBRUARY 8, 2018

A Canadian lawyer who claims he was forced out of Kenya after overseeing the opposition leader's controversial swearing-in ceremony says Canadian government officials failed him and his family during the ordeal.

Miguna Miguna spoke to The Globe and Mail from his Richmond Hill, Ont., home on Thursday, one day after he landed at Toronto Pearson International Airport. He said Kenyan officials forced him onto a flight back to Canada on Tuesday night after detaining him for almost a week, during which time, he said, Canadian officials failed to provide him consular assistance.

"They [Canadian officials] have not spoken with me," said Mr. Miguna, 55. "It's a big failure because they needed to scream, they needed to make noise. They needed to do something drastic and they never did."

STORY CONTINUES BELOW ADVERTISEMENT

He said his wife, Jane, kept Canadian officials "fully abreast" of the situation, but they didn't share any information with her.

The government did not respond to a request for comment about Mr. Miguna's claims at the time of publication.

In a statement Wednesday, Foreign Affairs Minister Chrystia Freeland said Canada is "deeply concerned" by the Kenyan government's recent actions, including the "unlawful" detention of opposition members and the shutdown of some media outlets.

"We urge the government of Kenya to uphold its constitution, to allow freedom of expression and to respect court orders, including those that order the release of those granted bail," Ms. Freeland said in the statement. "Kenyans of all political beliefs must come together to peacefully resolve their differences‎."

Mr. Miguna, who holds dual Kenyan-Canadian citizenship, said he was "abducted" in Nairobi last Friday after a group of 34 men raided his house early that morning. "I suspected they could be assassins because they did not say police," Mr. Miguna said. "They were hooded. Some of them had dreadlocks, some of them had beards. They were dressed like thugs. So I was frightened, and the only thing I could do is remain calm, not move."

The raid happened three days after he participated in the swearing-in ceremony of opposition leader and former prime minister Raila Odinga.

Mr. Odinga has said he was the rightful winner of last year's election, but Kenya's election authorities said Mr. Kenyatta won the August vote. The Supreme Court threw out the result and ordered another election, in October, which Mr. Odinga boycotted. Mr. Kenyatta won again.

STORY CONTINUES BELOW ADVERTISEMENT

Last week, Mr. Odinga took the step of inaugurating himself as "the people's president."

It took the men more than an hour to find Mr. Miguna in his large Nairobi home, where he was living alone at the time. He said he was then taken to a police station and held in a cell for the day, before being transferred to a prison with poorer conditions.

"They kept me in a filthy corridor next to a toilet," he recounted."Cold floor. No chairs. No access to lawyers. Nobody knew where I was."

He stayed there until Monday, at which point his health started to deteriorate.

"I was shaking like a leaf. I'm feeling like I'm very sick. No food. No sanitation," he said.

He appeared in court outside Nairobi Tuesday, where he was charged with treason for attending the inauguration of Mr. Odinga. He refused to enter a plea, arguing that he should face any charges inside the capital.

STORY CONTINUES BELOW ADVERTISEMENT

He said Kenyan authorities then took him to the airport, where they forced him onto a midnight flight. He had both passports with him at the airport, but said authorities confiscated his Kenyan passport before he boarded.

The Kenyan government said it deported Mr. Miguna as a "prohibited immigrant," because he had lost Kenyan nationality under a now-defunct law.

He landed in Toronto Wednesday to a crowd of supporters waiting for him at the arrival gate. He said he had his first shower in a week when he got home.

He said he will return to Kenya if he can get his passport back.

- With files from Reuters

Kenyan lawyer Miguna Miguna is arrested for taking part in opposition leader Raila Odinga's 'swearing in' ceremony.REUTERS

--
Disclaimer:Everyone posting to this Forum bears the sole responsibility for any legal consequences of his or her postings, and hence statements and facts must be presented responsibly. Your continued membership signifies that you agree to this disclaimer and pledge to abide by our Rules and Guidelines.To unsubscribe from this group, send email to: ugandans-at-heart+unsubscribe@googlegroups.com