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Former Nandi Member of Parliament Alfred Keter has accused the Australian embassy of denying him a visa due to his alleged involvement in a gun smuggling case.
Keter, speaking on Spice FM on Tuesday, criticised the embassy for collaborating with the Kenyan government to restrict his international movements.
He was denied a visa after being accused of bringing guns from Congo into Kenya during his abduction.
“I was trying to go to Australia because the Kenyans in Australia invited me for Christmas with my family, but I was denied a visa based on ‘you were accused of bringing guns from Congo,’” Keter explained.
Following the denial, Keter prepared an affidavit to challenge his arrest but was unsuccessful.
He claimed embassies are more interested in protecting those in power than serving the public.
“Out of what they collect from those making visa applications, it is enough to run the embassy. The embassies have no interest in the public; their interest is to protect whoever is in power,” noted Keter.
He further explained that only 5 per cent of visa applicants are successful, while the remaining 95 per cent do not receive any reimbursement for their fees.
Keter also detailed his abduction during the youth-led protests. He was taken by officers in civilian clothes and a civilian-numbered car after leaving a Sunday church service.
It was only later that he realised his captors were police officers when he was taken to the Directorate of Criminal Investigations (DCI) headquarters.
“I was arrested, I was never abducted, I was never taken to any court. All they said was that there are allegations you’re bringing guns from Congo, which they couldn’t prove because I’ve never been to Congo,” Keter stated.
Keter was later taken to Kamukunji to record a brief statement, where he was questioned about his connections to former President Uhuru Kenyatta and Deputy President Rigathi Gachagua, and the alleged guns from Congo.
When asked about the abduction, President William Ruto claimed Keter had refused to honour summons.
“There were no summons; I was abducted and even after I went there, no charges were preferred against me,” Keter claimed.
He believes the abduction was meant to intimidate him and his family, citing the officers' repeated statements that they were following “orders from above.”
Keter vowed to continue holding the government accountable, criticising Parliament for failing to focus on its core duties.
“Most members of Parliament no longer engage objectively; it’s no longer about what they believe in, but about the patronage from the executive, which controls Parliament,” he said.
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