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A section of Kenyans have set up a fundraiser for exiled lawyer Miguna Miguna ahead of his homecoming.
Through a poster dubbed Justice for Miguna is justice for all Kenyans, the lawyer’s fans have asked willing citizens to contribute to his return.
When the poster emerged on social media, some quarters poked holes into the drive stating that the firebrand lawyer was capable of funding his trip back to Kenya while others cast doubt on the authenticity of the movement.
Miguna clarifies
Miguna, however, took to his official Twitter account to acknowledge the drive stating that the campaign was a show of integrity and honesty.
He further defended the drive stating that his failed attempts to return to the country have cost him.
“They are not conmen. They are honest Kenyans trying to raise funds legally from those willing to give freely in order to accord me the homecoming they are planning. There is nothing dishonest about that. I only associate with people of integrity. And this is integrity,” he wrote.
“You wouldn’t say the same thing if your house was maliciously destroyed by explosives detonated by State Goons; you were tortured; illegally detained then forced out of your country of birth for five years, and you have spent more than $30,000 of your own money trying to return home.”he wrote.
They are NOT conmen. They are HONEST Kenyans trying to raise funds LEGALLY from those WILLING to give FREELY in order to accord me the HOMECOMING they are planning. There is nothing dishonest about that. I only associate with people of integrity. And this is INTEGRITY. https://t.co/Z4MqFkBpkQ
— Dr. Miguna Miguna (@MigunaMiguna) October 1, 2022
Miguna’s homecoming
Notably, Miguna rescheduled his homecoming date to a few days before his initial date citing popular demands.
He had earlier announced that he would be touching down at Jomo Kenyatta International Airport (JKIA) on Sunday, October 25, 2022.
In a late-night post on social media, the lawyer who was deported almost five years ago stated that he would be arriving in the country on October 20, 2022.
“My homecoming arrival date and time have been changed by popular demand. Arrival: October 20, 2022, at 6.00 AM. See you at the JKIA, Patriots,” he wrote.
The adjustment came a day after his initial announcement and barely days after he was handed his Kenyan passport following efforts by the President.
According to the outspoken lawyer, he did not need to sign any documents as previously ordered for him to get the travel document.
“1687 days after Uhuru Kenyatta, @RailaOdinga, Fred Matiang’i, @Karanjakibicho and @GKihalangwa CONSPIRED to SEIZE and DESTROYED my Kenyan Passport illegally, President @WilliamsRuto has had a new one DELIVERED to me.
“Waiting for the LIFTING of RED ALERTS. I didn’t have to sign the silly forms they were speaking about,” Miguna wrote on Twitter then.
When Miguna was deported
Miguna had been deported to Canada where he is also a citizen following his role in the unofficial swearing-in of opposition leader Raila Odinga as “the people’s president” back in 2018.
In April this year, while appearing for a media interview, Matiang’i indicated that Miguna was required to fill out a one-page document to re-register for Kenya citizenship.
Matiang’i said that was the only way the lawyer would secure his travel back according to the new constitution.
“You have to fill a piece of paper so that you regain your Kenyan passport or citizenship. There’s a judgment by the court on this matter which prescribed clearly how you regain your citizenship,” Matiang’i stated.
He added: “There are court rulings in place by the high court on how you regain citizenship after you lost citizenship in the old constitution. Because in the old constitution you were not allowed to have dual citizenship.”
