This archive report was first published on 5 October 2019.
Published on October 5, 2019
Charles Nguna, the Mwingi West MP, has denied allegations of holding dual citizenship, a claim made by activist Okiya Omtatah.
Nguna, a Wiper Democratic Movement politician, stated that he will resign if it is proven that he holds dual citizenship.
He denied being a Greek citizen, despite his parents being Greek citizens, and clarified that his parents' nationality does not necessarily qualify him as a dual citizen.
Nguna also stated that he has worked with international companies and has lived outside Kenya, but he never sought dual citizenship.
He urged the Ethics and Anti-Corruption Commission (EACC) to hasten their investigations into the matter.
The issue of dual citizenship has been a topic of discussion in Kenya, particularly after the vetting of Ms Mwende Mwinzi as the envoy to Seoul, South Korea.
Mwinzi moved to the High Court last month seeking to have the National Assembly stopped from forcing her to renounce her US citizenship before taking up the role.
She argued that the MPs' action is tantamount to violation of her rights.
"My US citizenship was acquired by birth, and as such my citizenship or the process of opting in was a consequence of circumstances out of my control," she argued in her affidavit.
"I did not participate in the decision to be born in the US, and I cannot opt out of that decision. Article 78(3) (b) would only be applicable to people who opted in by applying for citizenship, and renunciation would be the process of opting out," she added.
