Maravi

Henry in Kenya reports are false, says envoy

Henry in Kenya reports are false, says envoy
By Bright Mukwasa
Tue 21 Feb. 2012, 12:01 CAT

THE Kenyan High Commission in Zambia says reports that Rupiah Banda's son Henry was kept at State House while in Kenya were false. Kenyan High Commissioner to Zambia Dr Kipyego Cheluget said the allegation was false and had embarrassed Kenyan President Mwai Kibaki and his family.

The then Inspector General of Police Dr Martin Malama had said the government through Interpol had issued a notice to Interpol member states - to which Kenya is a member - for the arrest of Henry Banda, awaiting formal extradition request upon his arrest.

Dr Malama said Henry was last seen in South Africa and was believed to have headed to Kenya.

Later, sources in Kenya disclosed that State House in Kenya had kept Henry when he was in that country and at the time the Zambian security personnel were looking for him.

But High Commissioner Dr Cheluget said: "Kenya is deeply disturbed by Zambian media allegations that Henry who is wanted for questioning in Zambia is hiding in State House, Nairobi… allegations which are not true. There is no way that Kenya can keep or hide a foreign national who is wanted for questioning in his country.

"In fact it is The Post that made this claim in a banner headline.

Kenya demands an apology for this claim from The Post Newspaper which made these false claims. His Excellency President Mwai Kibaki and his family live in State House, Nairobi and to claim that he is hiding a fugitive is really to belittle the dignity of our President and Kenyan nation."

Dr Cheluget said the continued unfounded media speculation on the issue may be unnecessarily injurious to the good relations between Zambia and Kenya.

He said Kenya had checked the records at the entry points and had ascertained that Henry was not in that country presently or if he was, then he used undesignated entry points.

He said the records Kenya had indicated that Henry left that country on 23 November 2011 via Jomo Kenyatta International and not returned, saying he once used Zambian passport NO: ZP005673 and when he visited the country previously he used different passport numbers ZP005193 and ZP005131.

Dr Cheluget also said their records did not show how long Henry had used the other passports.

He said the relevant Kenya government security machineries had been mobilised to have Henry arrested "whenever and wherever he was spotted in that country".

Labels: HENRY BANDA, INSPECTOR GENERAL

posted by MrK @ 5:13 PM