A lawyer for Kenyan opposition politician Miguna Miguna says Miguna remains in police custody Wednesday evening in defiance of a judge’s order to bring him to court.
The dispute over Miguna Miguna is part of a wider tussle between the government and the judiciary and it could also strain recently improved relations between President Uhuru Kenyatta and opposition leader Raila Odinga.
The two leaders announced on March 9 they would set aside years of acrimony and work together to unite Kenya, which is divided along political and ethnic lines in the wake of elections last year in which around 100 people were killed.
The surprise announcement promised a fresh start for politics in Kenya, a country that is east Africa’s richest economy and a hub for diplomacy, trade and security.
Authorities deported Miguna in February saying he had rescinded his citizenship.
He was also charged with treason because of his role in a mock swearing-in ceremony for Odinga in January that was a direct challenge to Kenyatta, who won a second term in October.
Police detained Miguna on Monday at the main airport in the capital as he returned after a court ruled that he should be allowed back into Kenya. The court ordered Miguna, the interior minister and the police chief to appear ahead of Miguna’s possible release from detention.
There was no immediate comment from the police on Wednesday as to why Miguna was not brought to court.
Amnesty International condemned Kenyan leaders for its handling of the situation.
In a statement, Amnesty International Kenya’s Executive Director Irungu Houghton said: “The way Miguna was treated showed blatant disregard for his human rights, after the High Court ordered that he be allowed to re-enter the country.”
Miguna’s lawyer, and Kenyan senator, James Orengo agrees.
“The court should bite those disobeying court orders harder,” Orengo, a senator and lawyer told the court. “Government critics say authorities defy court orders in cases involving politics and opposition politicians.”
