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Ndii hits back after Govt suspends his passport

By SILAS APOLLO February 6th, 2018 2 min read

The government has suspended the passport of economist and Nasa strategist David Ndii as it intensified a crackdown on opposition leaders.

The Director of Immigration Service Gordon Kihalangwa, in a letter addressed to Dr Ndii, said the revocation was done in line with Citizen and Immigration Act 2011.

Dr Kihalangwa directed the economist to surrender his passport to the immigration offices at Nyayo House within 21 days, failure to which, the document would be declared null and void.

“Pursuant to Section 31 of the Kenya Citizenship and Immigration Act 2011, you are hereby notified that passport number C051258 which is in your possession remains suspended forthwith,” read the letter.

But Dr Ndii, in a response to the directive, accused the director of using non-existent section of the law to suspend his passport.

CRACKDOWN

“Not citing reason as required. Sycophants are born, not made,” he tweeted.

The law, gives the government powers to withdraw one’s passport if a holder gives it out for use to someone else, convicted of terrorism, money laundering, drug trafficking or any other international crime.

Similar actions, may be issued if an arrest warrant has been imposed on a passport holder, or if the holder has been involved in document forgery, according to the Citizen and Immigration Act.

The directive comes as the government intensifies a crackdown on the opposition leaders, barely a week after Nasa leader Raila Odinga took “oath of office” as the “people’s president”.

Last week, interior cabinet secretary Fred Matiang’i, outlawed the Nasa wing of the National Resistance Movement.

SECURITY DETAILS

The government also recalled security details of a number of opposition leaders and ordered the confiscation of their firearms, a move they contested in court.

A number of the opposition legislators including Ruaraka MP TJ Kajwang, Makadara MP George Aladwa and self-declared Nasa general Miguna Miguna have been arrested in connection with Mr Odinga’s “swearing in”.

The three were charged with aiding the oath taking ceremony, which the government has termed as a act of treason.

Mr Aladwa was also charged with the grenade scare at the Karen home of Nasa co-principal and wiper party leader Kalonzo Musyoka.

Both Mr Kajwang and Mr Aladwa were released after they recorded statements with the police.