Land Without Thunder: Life in exile worse than a Kenyan jail- Miguna Miguna

Fiery lawyer Miguna Miguna was until this year’s Mashujaa Day the only Kenyan political deportee. He told Nyambega Gisesa of Baba’s betrayal after Uhuru bought him for 30 pieces of silver

1. Learned friend, how was Canada?

As you are aware, I was forced out of my country of birth and citizenship, Kenya, by Uhuru Kenyatta and his agents of repression twice last year in blatant violation of the constitution, my rights and in defiance of numerous valid court orders. In other words, was in exile in Canada against my will.

Life in exile is not a holiday. It is worse than a Kenyan jail…I have not been allowed to appear before the High Court in Nairobi to face my accusers nor have I had the opportunity to prosecute my cases against them.

The way my rights and freedoms have been violated is unprecedented…no Kenyan has ever been forcibly removed from the country and dumped in another country like I have been. There is no Kenyan whose valid passport has been illegally seized and destroyed in disobedience of valid court orders. So, I was extremely unhappy, distressed and agonized. It is the worst torture I have been subjected to. And all are being done in subversion and disregard of my Bill of Rights which are entrenched and guaranteed in the Constitution.

Had you exhausted all efforts to return to Kenya?

I get irritated when anyone implies that I should “come back to Kenya.” Firstly, I did not book a flight and voluntarily leave Kenya. Second, this question compels me to remind you that I was abducted or kidnapped from my house in Nairobi on February 2, 2018. The heavily-armed goons (I call them goons because they did not wear uniforms; did not identify themselves as police officers; did not knock at my gate and house; arrived in civilian vehicles with no police emblems) and entered my gate and house by violently using explosions. Even after Justices Wakiaga, Kimaru, Mwita, Aburili and Odunga made numerous orders for my release, the rogue agents of state kept me detained, tortured, sedated and eventually forcefully removed, the last time while unconscious.

Needless to say, I have done what anyone who believes in the rule of law would do: I made applications before the High Court and obtained many orders directing that my valid Kenyan passport be returned to me and my re-entry to Kenya be facilitated by the same people who removed me – unconditionally. What else does expect me to do?

#DespotsMustFall –the despots you wanted to fall fell in the 2002 elections?

The Concise Oxford English Dictionary defines a “despot” as “a ruler who exercises absolute power, especially in a cruel or oppressive way.” As you can see, I did not manufacture the word “despot.”

No one with basic common-sense can dispute that the manner Uhuru Kenyatta destroyed my house; abducted, detained and tortured me for more than ten days then illegally confiscating and destroying my Kenyan passport before forcing me out of the country in defiance of more than ten court orders is despotic. So, the despots in Kenya who must fall were Uhuru Kenyatta and everyone who he is using to oppress Kenyans, subvert the constitution and abuse his office.

What could Uhuru Kenyatta have done different to leave a positive legacy?

I was not Uhuru Kenyatta’s adviser and I had no intentions of helping him leave a positive legacy. Moreover, Uhuru Kenyatta was not intellectually, ideologically, morally or politically capable and willing to do anything different that may have a positive outcome. His father, Jomo Kenyatta, whom he confessed to emulate, was a certified despot. Uhuru Kenyatta had no known training, no known ideology. He had no known vision. He had no plan, program, agenda or intention to anything but a dictator.

Is there a chance for you to reconcile with Raila Odinga?

That is the wrong question because it is Raila Odinga who betrayed me and millions of other Kenyans. Raila betrayed me in 2011 when he suspended me for advising him against theft of public resources. I had also advised him not to push for the enactment of the current presidential system. I had advised him to champion the enactment of a federal, parliamentary system.

In 2018, Raila suddenly and cowardly surrendered to Uhuru Kenyatta in exchange for 30 pieces of silver. He did so unilaterally without consulting any members of the NRMKe, NASA or ODM. The struggle for electoral justice did not and does not belong to him.

Raila is the one who had requested me to head the NRMKe which we had founded together with other patriots. When he purported to dissolve the People’s Assemblies, he did so without consulting anyone. He declared an end to the #Resist movement and boycott of products and companies that had helped Uhuru Kenyatta steal the 2017 elections also without consultations.

He had also asked me to swear him-in after everyone including James Orengo, Otiende Amolo and others had refused to swear him in. Instead of standing with me, Raila conspired with Uhuru Kenyatta to have my house destroyed and me detained and brutalized – twice last year – before being forcefully removed from Kenya. Raila is the one who cowardly left the pursuit of justice and decided to go to bed with those oppressing Kenyans.

Democracy, rule of law, constitutionalism and electoral justice are not bags of potatoes that belong to Raila Odinga. These are important values in our constitution. An accountable leader would not conduct himself as if he were a monarch the way Raila has done and continues to do.

So, it is him to stop the betrayals, seek forgiveness and rejoin the struggle for freedom, electoral and social justice. I’m not going to betray the people, my principles and values the way Raila has done. I’m prepared to die pursuing justice for everyone, without compromise.

Has your Runda House been repaired?

The correct question should be: have the State agents whom the High Court ordered to pay you damages paid? The answer is No. They have not paid a red cent. There has been zero compliance by Uhuru Kenyatta and his goons. I have, nonetheless, made basic repairs. But the damages went beyond the blowing up of the gates, doors and windows. Millions’ worth of personal effects was stolen from the house.

What do Kenyans not know about you?

That’s an ambiguous and irrelevant question that is not capable of being responded to. How would I know what 55 million Kenyans don’t know about me? I wish to remind Kenyans that the violations against me are symptomatic of deeper and troubling problems facing Kenya. That Kenya is not a private estate of the Kenyatta or Odinga or Moi families. Kenya belongs to all of us. And that it does not matter whether you like or dislike me. It does not matter whether you agree or disagree with my opinions or the way I express them. In the end, we are all human beings. Kenyan citizens. We have equal rights – regardless of our stations in life, gender, race, class or political beliefs. They should know that today it is me being brutalized. But tomorrow it may be anyone of you. Therefore, the only guarantee of our safety is to ensure that no one conducts himself as if he or she is above the law!