President Ruto Should Apologize for Miguna Miguna’s Deportation, Martha Karua Says

Narc-Kenya party leader Martha Karua says President Ruto should apologize to lawyer Miguna Miguna over his deportation in 2018.

Karua argues that Miguna was deported by the Jubilee administration in which Ruto served as the deputy president, hence he was part and parcel of the Kenyan-Canadian attorney’s tribulations.

She added President Ruto should not be deemed to have vindicated his actions after facilitating Miguna’s return on Thursday, saying that he should apologize on behalf of the Jubilee government, himself and his predecessor Uhuru Kenyatta.

"What happened was a great mistake and atrocity by the government of Kenya of which the current president was a happy deputy president at that time,” Karua told BBC News in an interview.

"It is an action that he cannot dissociate himself with. In fact, today, I would expect that he would have apologized to Miguna on his behalf and on behalf of the President who has just retired. It is their government that committed that atrocity,” she added.

Karua, who termed Miguna’s deportation as unlawful, affirmed that the fiery lawyer would have been allowed back if the Raila Odinga-led Azimio La Umoja-One Kenya coalition party won the last election.

“Our campaign was under the platform of the rule of law, constitutionalism and as many may recall, Raila Odinga had indicated that I would handle the docket on matters of the constitution and the rule of law. Miguna would have been able to enjoy his rights and have his passport returned," Karua, who was Odinga’s running mate, stated.

Miguna arrived at the Jomo Kenyatta International Airport (JKIA) on Thursday after President Ruto’s administration issued him a new passport and lifted the red alerts hindering his return to Kenya.

“I am thanking the president, his deputy and their administration and everybody else who has worked tirelessly to make sure that my rights and the rights of every other Kenyan are protected. What has happened to me should never happen to anyone else," Miguna said shortly after landing at JKIA.