UK must justify Kenyan travel ban

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A British judge has ordered the government to explain fully why it has banned a former Kenyan cabinet minister from entering the United Kingdom.

When the ex-minister, Chris Murungaru, was barred in July last year, the UK government said his presence "would not be conducive to the public good".

But the authorities have refused to be more specific on the grounds of national security.

Mr Murungaru is facing corruption allegations in Kenya, which he denies.

He challenged the ban at the High Court in London after the Home Office withdrew his visa, citing his "character, conduct and associations".

Limbo

The judge's ruling means Mr Murungaru remains in "visa limbo" said one of his legal spokesmen in the UK.

"It is going to drag on".

But at a news conference in Nairobi, Mr Murungaru hailed the judge's ruling as one that vindicated his fight against an "unlawful and irrational" ban.

"This was a witchhunt and I am very happy that the British government was ordered to produce proof of why it stopped me from travelling or transiting through the country," he said.

A Home Office spokesman downplayed the significance of the ruling.

"The judge said that he needed more time to review the full contents of the evidence before he can make his decision," a spokesman told AFP news agency.

Mr Murungaru is a close ally of President Mwai Kibakibut but was forced from cabinet after allegations of involvement in the Anglo Leasing scandal, in which government contracts worth hundreds of millions of dollars were awarded to a phantom firm.