Listen to This Article Enhance your reading experience by listening to this article.

Christine Musa and Mercy Mwai @PeopleDailyKe

Fleeing Tanzanian and former Arusha Urban constituency Member of Parliament Godbless Lema was yesterday allowed to live in the country unconditionally.

Officers from Kajiado Police Station where he was being held for the last 24 hours released and allowed him to stay in the country under asylum programme.

His release came hours after the former MP had vowed he would not go back to his home country to die.

Speaking at Kajiado Police Station yesterday where he spent his Sunday night, Lema, through his lawyer George Wajackoyah, refused to record a statement with the police insisting that he be handed to the United Nation High Commission for Refugees (UNHCR). 

Terming his home country a persecution paradise, Lema insisted he is not a criminal running away from the rule of law of his country, but a political fugitive seeking asylum for fear of being assassinated.

“My life is in danger. I am not ready to die. I will be assassinated because of my political stand,” claimed Lema. 

His stand came hours after Amnesty International accused the government of violating his rights by forcibly insisting that it would send him back to his country. 

According Amnesty, the Kenyan Government should move with speed and instead process Lema and his family’s quest for asylum as per its international obligations.

“Kenya must not violate the internationally recognised principle of non-refoulment. Our own National laws uphold the international principle,” said Amnesty International Executive Director Irungu Houghton.

  Kajiado authorities refused to comment on the matter.