This archive report was first published on 12 August 2019.
On August 12, 2019, lawyer Miguna Miguna took a significant step in his long-standing battle for Kenyan citizenship by filing a lawsuit against Interior Cabinet Secretary Fred Matiang'i and 24 other government officials.
Miguna, who has been living in Canada since his deportation, claims that he never renounced his Kenyan citizenship and was instead forcefully kicked out of the country.
He argues that he has the right to be in Kenya, citing his birth in the country as evidence. Miguna also submitted documents to the court to support his claim, including details of his time as a student leader at the University of Nairobi.
According to the documents, Miguna was subjected to torture for expressing his political opinions during his time at the university. He also claims to have been physically assaulted, abducted, and detained under cruel conditions at Githunguri Police Station.
The state had earlier argued that Miguna left Kenya in 1998 after being expelled from the University of Nairobi. However, Miguna refutes this claim, stating that he went into exile due to fear of persecution and that his Kenyan passport was destroyed without his knowledge.
Some of the respondents in the suit include the Attorney General, Principal Secretary of the Directorate of Immigration and Registrations of Persons, Director of Criminal Investigations, Director of Public Prosecutions, and Director of Immigration and Registration of Persons.
