Miguna’s ID card is invalid, can this happen?

mary kulundu

April 3, 2018 2:44 PM

What the law says about Miguna's ID

Principal Secretary of Immigration Gordon Kihalangwa startled a section of the public when he told the Parliamentary Committee on National Security and Administration that the Identification card of lawyer Miguna Migua was invalid.

Kihalangwa, who was appearing before the Committee together with Interior CS Fred Matiang’i and Inspector General Joseph Boinnet to answer questions regarding Miguna’s forceful deportation, said that the Canadian-based lawyer’s ID was an illegal document.

"The ID card Miguna has today is an invalid document. Even if he regains his citizenship he will have to go to the National Registration Bureau to get an ID so that he can process his passport," he said.

Can your ID become invalid?

According to the Registration of Persons Act, the Interior Minister can invalidate the ID card through a Gazette notice.

"Every identity card issued under this Act, whether or not expressed to be valid up to any particular date, shall continue to be valid up to such time as the Minister may by notice in the Gazette declare and upon such declaration every person with an identity card so declared to be invalid shall within ninety days of the declaration present himself before a registration officer to be registered in accordance with ,” the Act reads.

Last week, Miguna caused a huge standoff at Jomo Kenyatta International Airport (JKIA) when he refused to produce his Canadian passport. Instead, he offered his ID as a document to be used by the Immigration Department to clear him.

The Immigration office also handed Miguna documents meant regularize citizenship but he refused to sign.

According to Mr. Matiang'i and the Immigration boss, the self-proclaimed NRM General shredded the forms.

Miguna said that applying for a Visa as a tourist would restrict him from conducting his political activities in the country.

Miguna's deportation

The Canadian-based lawyer ended up spending more than 72-hours at JKIA and was forcefully deported to Dubai on Thursday night.

Also Read: The emergency phone call Miguna made before being deported to Dubai

However, Matiang’i refuted media reports that the self-declared National Resistance Movement (NRM) was deported to Dubai.

Instead, the CS mentioned that Miguna was simply removed from the Jomo Kenyatta International Airport (JKIA) as an UNDOCUMENTED person.

He also denied claims that Miguna was drugged by police officers stating that he was not aware as the lawyer was not in Kenya.

mary kulundu