Just hours after lawyer Miguna Miguna was ejected from a Nairobi-bound Air France plane, the airline has set the record straight saying it was just complying with international rules governing air transport.
This is after Miguna alleged that Air France and Lufthansa ‘collaborate with tyrants’.
Air France, however, revealed that it was acting upon the orders of Kenyan authorities and had to oblige.
“Dear Mr Miguna, we confirm that at the request of the Kenyan authorities, we were obliged to deny boarding.
“Like all airlines, Air France is required to comply with the entry requirements for the countries it serves and as such is not authorized to knowingly board passengers for a destination to which they are denied access,” read the statement.
The airline further added: “By doing so, Air France is simply complying with the international rules governing air transport, which it is required to respect. Best regards.”
Miguna was scheduled to arrive in Kenya today morning but has faced a number of hurdles in what he terms as deliberate efforts by the government to frustrate him.
On January 6, 2020, the Directorate of Immigration Services stated that it would facilitate Miguna’s entry to the country but the lawyer later accused the government of issuing a red alert that barred airlines from transporting him to Kenya or any other African country.
Recently, President Uhuru Kenyatta maintained that there is freedom of expression in Kenya and appeared to hint that Miguna would be allowed in the country to exercise his rights provided he preaches peace and unity.
