Kenyan activists denied entry into Uganda

By Martin Ssebuyira

Four Kenyan human rights activists were yesterday denied access into Uganda. The activists led by a member of the Kenya National Commission on Human Rights, Mr Hassan Omar Hassan, were kept at the Entebbe Immigration Office from 9:30am when their plane touched down until they were sent back at 3pm.
Speaking to Daily Monitor on phone, Mr Omar said four of the 11-man team were denied access.

Demeaning act
“I led a 11-man delegation to Uganda for a mission to meet the Ugandan Chief Justice over the continued detention of activist Al-Amin Kimathi, who was among eight Kenyans arrested over the July 11 Kampala bombings,” he said.

The order to deny them entry reportedly came from the Ministry of Internal Affairs. Mr Omar described the decision as demeaning and a violation of human rights.

Mr Hussein Khalif, the executive director Supreme Council of Kenya Muslims, Sheikh Muhdhar Ahitano, his deputy, and Mr Sam Muhoji, an advocate, were also denied access.

Efforts to get comments from the in-charge immigration at Entebbe Airport, Mr Charles Okello, were fruitless as he was not in his office and did not answer phone calls made to him.

Ministry of Internal Affairs spokesperson, Ms Yunis Kisembo, said: “We denied them access and (when) we checked the authenticity of their documents, they were not genuine,” Ms Kisembo said.

July bombing
Mr Kimathi, the executive co-coordinator of Muslim Human Rights Forum, was arrested in Kampala when he came to visit Kenyan youth handed over to Uganda by the Kenya police.

Ugandan authorities allege that seven of the suspects were recruits of Al-Shabaab insurgents who had returned from Somalia to execute their mission.


(2011-4-14/The Monitor)