Director of Immigration Gordon Kihalangwa has defended Monday's decision to bar Siaya Senator James Orengo and NASA strategist Jimmy Wanjigi from travelling to Harare.
He said the two were stopped from leaving the country to Zimbabwe for MDC leader Morgan Tsvangirai's burial because an order suspending their passports was still in effect.
Kihalangwa said the department learned of a court order revoking the passports' suspension through media reports.
"The said orders had not been served by the time the duo wanted to travel. After arriving at the JKIA, they were requested to avail the copies of the said court order but they had none."
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Kihalangwa said in a statement on Tuesday that the NASA leaders instead "showed some writings in their phones purporting to be court orders."
"The two could, therefore, not be allowed to proceed with their journey until copies of the said orders were availed," he said.
Orengo and Wanjigi were scheduled to travel to Zimbabwe on Monday night to attend
Tsivangirai’s burial on Tuesday.
Their plans to travel followed the revocation of the suspension of their passports and those of five other NASA leaders by Judge John Mativo on Monday.
Kihalangwa said the immigration department will always obey court orders if and when such orders are served upon them.
"They will be allowed to travel once such orders are served to the department."
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However, Raila Odinga's
adviser Salim Lone said Orengo and Wanjigi served the airport immigration officer with the court order but their passports were still confiscated.
"A court order was immediately served on the airport immigration office for the return of their passports, but the officers refused to carry out the court order and the passports were not returned."
According to Lone, the duo was supposed to head out to Zimbabwe on Tuesday morning via a rescheduled flight.
They were to join Raila and Kisumu governor Anyang' Nyong’o at Tsivangirai's funeral in Buhera later in the day.
Raila and Nyong'o travelled on Monday.