Kenya’s Reputation for Asylum Takes a Hit with the Deportation of Turkish Nationals
Principal Secretary for Foreign Affairs, Korir Sing’oei. [File, Standard]
Kenya’s standing as a sanctuary for refugees has recently come under scrutiny following the controversial deportation of four Turkish citizens previously under asylum protection.
This event has prompted serious questions: Can individuals truly find a refuge within Kenya, or is the nation merely a supporter of oppressive regimes?
As of now, there remains a cloud of uncertainty surrounding the government’s handling of these four men. Were they processed through the proper legal channels, or were they forcibly removed and put on a flight back to their homeland?
Sing’oei explained that the government opted for the deportation based on allegations that the men faced treason charges in Turkey.
However, adding a layer of complexity to this situation, multiple countries denied the Turkish government’s request for extradition of Mustafa Genc, Huseyin Yesila, Ozturk Uzun, and Alpaslan Tasci.
These individuals were not alone in their ordeal; they were abducted along with a British national, Necdet Seyitoglu, an educational consultant, who managed to secure his freedom by proving his British citizenship.
As news broke, human rights organizations rallied together, condemning the incident and asserting that the four men were recognized as refugees protected by the United Nations.
In a subsequent statement, Sing’oei revealed that the four men were flown out of Nairobi on October 19, responding to a request from the Turkish government.
“The Ministry of Foreign and Diaspora Affairs has received assurances from Turkish authorities that these men will be treated humanely in accordance with both national and international laws,” he noted.
Amnesty International and other advocacy groups voiced their apprehensions regarding the men’s abduction and subsequent deportation back to Turkey.
This incident marks not the first time Kenya has faced allegations of sending dissidents back to oppressive governments.
Back in 1990, Kenya pledged to repatriate over 1,000 refugees to Uganda and Rwanda despite UNHCR pleas, resulting in police brutality against some victims. Certain Rwandan refugees were accused of disseminating propaganda and aiding rebels against the regime of Juvenal Habyarimana.
During the turmoil post-1994 Rwandan genocide, numerous refugees, including infamous genocide mastermind Felicien Kabuga, sought shelter in Kenya.
Then there’s Abdullah Ocalan,
a Turkish dissident associated with the Kurdistan Workers’ Party (PKK), who was extradited to Turkey from Kenya. His journey began in Cyprus when he posed as a journalist, aided covertly by Greek officials. Although he initially aimed to settle in South Africa, he ultimately landed in Kenya where he was arrested in 1999.
Ocalan fled Turkey in light of a military crackdown, having previously sought refuge in Russia, Italy, and Greece. Today, the PKK continues its quest for an independent Kurdistan in southeastern Turkey and northern Iraq.
Another interesting case involves Selahaddin Gulen,
the nephew of Fethullah Gulen. In April 2021, he arrived in Kenya from the US, where his wife worked as a teacher. Accused of terrorist affiliations due to his uncle’s activities, he attempted to clear his name at the Directorate of Criminal Investigations. However, he and a companion were kidnapped near the DCI offices—his friend returned after five days, while Selahaddin reappeared in Turkey over 20 days later, handcuffed with images released by the Turkish government showcasing his arrest.
Then we have Nnamdi Kanu,
the leader of Nigeria’s separatist Indigenous People of Biafra (IPOB). Kanu vanished in Kenya in June 2022 after advocating for the Republic of Biafra’s re-establishment. His tumultuous history includes a 2015 arrest in Nigeria on treason and terrorism charges. Although he had been granted bail, he fled and later surfaced in London. As of 2021, he was living in Kenya until his abduction, allegedly executed by armed men while he was en route to meet a Biafran leader. Reports suggest he was subsequently tortured before being unlawfully flown back to Nigeria without completing immigration procedures.
The Kenyan government, of course, denied any involvement in Kanu’s rendition, and he was eventually brought before a Nigerian High Court, where his charges were dismissed.
Samson Tecklemichael,
a Tigrayan from Ethiopia, was kidnapped in broad daylight on November 19, 2021, in Kileleshwa. Intercepted while driving, he was forcefully taken from his vehicle, which was left abandoned in the street. The incident was captured on video by passing motorists and quickly circulated online. At the time, he was a businessman who had been residing in Kenya for 16 years.
Lastly, we can’t overlook Morris Mabior Awikjok Bak,
a South Sudanese national who fell victim to an abduction on February 4, 2024. Claiming to be police officers, the kidnappers stormed his home, even assaulting his wife in the process. As someone who had been granted refugee status in Kenya after fleeing deadly threats in his homeland, his whereabouts remain unknown, and both governments have been reticent about the situation.
And let’s not forget Arshad Shariff,
a Pakistani journalist and investigator. After facing severe legal trouble for his reporting, he sought refuge in Kenya. Tragically, on October 23, 2022, he lost his life at the hands of police who mistakenly believed he was behind the wheel of a stolen vehicle. Following the incident, the Kenyan High Court awarded his widow Sh10 million for their negligence.
Edited by: Ali Musa
alimusa@axadletimes.com
Axadle international–Monitoring
