Miguna Miguna, the man who people love or loathe

It is now three years and eight moths since when the self-styled general of the National Resistance Movement, Dr Miguna Miguna was exiled from Kenya by the Kenyan government after swearing in the by then opposition leader Raila Amolo Odinga who had lost the 8^th of august 2017 elections to His Excellency Uhuru Muigai Kenyatta. To watch the swearing in ceremony, click here

Miguna on the left, swearing in NASA presidential candidate, Raila Amolo, middle at Uhuru Park grounds, 30th, Jan,2018 

The Richmond Hill lawyer, Dr Miguna Miguna swore in NASA presidential candidate Raila Amolo Odinga as the peoples’ president on 30^th, January, 2018 at Uhuru Park. This act was considered a treason by the Kenyan government where after that president Kenyatta responded by taking three TV channels which had covered the swearing ceremony: NTV, KTN TV and Citizen TV off air, with only two of them resuming broadcasting after a weeks’ time. Later on 3^1st, January, 2018, the police arrested TJ Kajwang who was who was amongst he lawyers who witnessed the swearing in ceremony. Two days, “police” who were dressed in civilian clothes broke down Dr Migunas’ door in a down raid, took him out by force and detained him.

In a video that was recorded by citizen television while the vibrant exiled lawyer Dr Miguna Miguna was being interviewed by Jeff Koinange (JKLIVE) from exile, Miguna explains how he was then abducted from his own house, tortured by the police, kept in unlawful incommunicado detention for five days under the most horrendous cruel and inhuman conditions imaginable before he was forcefully send out of the country. For more on this, click the YouTube link and watch the interview. Miguna narrates the ordeal

After abduction later Miguna appeared a court outside Nairobi and was charged of treason, where the court ordered that he: Mr miguna miguna be bailed following his hearing but this did not happen. I a video again posted by the citizen television from JKL interview with Miguna Miguna, Miguna explains how the police took him out of the court and drove him around different places with his eyes sometimes being covered until the time he found himself at Jomo Kenyatta International Airport (JKIA) being forced to board a flight towards Canada. Click here and watch the interview. 

It is worthy noting that the fearless lawyer Dr Miguna Miguna was also the leader of the National Resistance Movement (NRM), a movement that was formed after the illegitimate swearing in of Raila as the people’s president. In a video that is still available on many social media platforms, Miguna explains the major objectives of NRM, where he says that among other things, the movement was to remove his excellency Uhuru Kenyattas Portraits from all public offices, and conduct a nation wide burn down of such portraits, while still replacing His Excellency, Uhuru Kenyattas portraits with those of self-declared “people’s president” Raila Amolo Odinga. To watch the video, click this link.

Four weaks ago, Dr. willy Mutunga, the former chief Justice and president of thee supreme court of the republic of kenya issued a statement saying that; after a careful reflection, and following broad consultations with lawyers, humanrights and justice defenders, progressive politicians and Mr Miguna himself had decided to travel to Toronto canada, and accompany Mr. Miguna on his flight back to his motherland on 16^th, November, 2021. In his statement, Dr Willy Mutunga stated various court orders which had rendered in favor of Miguna Miguna but which the Kenyan government had remained adamant to, and most of times acted contrary towards them. Dr Mutunga also sought for Kenyan journalists who would accompany him during such historic journey. Click this link to read DR willy Mutunga’s statement.Dr.willy Mutunga vows to bring miguna back to Kenya

former chief justice: Dr willy Mutunga

It should be remembered that the 16^th, November, 2021 is not the first time Dr Miguna is attempting to come back home after his exile but actually the third time. The first time when miguna tried coming back to Kenya on his own expenditure was on 26^th, march, 2018. During this attempt, the Kenyan government through its senior topmost officials such as the cabinet for interior security Dr Matiang’i, blocked him, assaulted him and detained him for three days in a filthy toilet at the Jomo Kenyatta International Airport before sending him back to Dubai illegally and forcefully, as shown in the video. miguna sent back to Dubai

The second attempt to come back home happened on 6^th, January, 2020 where Miguna offered to facilitate his own return back to Kenya where he was to attend his fathers in law burial ceremony. On hearing about this, then Kenyan government responded by issuing “red alerts” to all commercial airlines, effectively barring Miguna from flying into Kenya. The issuing of “red alerts” dissuaded Lufthansa and Air France from flying Miguna into Kenya, thus missing his father’s in law burial ceremony where he had to share the special letter that he had written for his father in law through social media.  Click here to read the letter. Miguna after being deported

Now Kenyan citizens together with migunas followers are in suspense waiting to see whether Dr Miguna Miguna will successfully come back home, given the fact that the High court of Kenya led by Justice Hedwig Said, refused to lift or withdraw the “red alerts” that Miguna says were issued on 6^th, January,2020 to commercial airlines not to fly him. The court declined having knowledge of existing “red alerts” and ordered Miguna to produce evidence proving existence of “red alerts without speculating.

By Sabastian Mwaluko,

Student of Journalism and Mass communication

Chuka University