A former British Broadcasting Corporation (BBC) journalist is celebrating victory after a four-year court case was ruled in her favour by a Kenyan Court on Thursday.
Lucy Hannan was handed the victory by High Court Judge Justice Isaac Lenola who cited that arbitral refusal by the Ministry of Foreign affairs to renew her work permit was against the Constitution.
“The respondent’s decision arrived at on October 16, 2013, refusing to renew her work permit, was contrary to the constitution, fair Administrative Act, as well as Kenyan Citizenship and Immigration Act, 2011,” read the ruling as quoted by the Star.
He issued a directive to the Director General of Kenya Citizens and Foreign National Management to extend the former Journalist’s work permit for two more years.
Justice Lenaola said that the Journalist has a constitutional right to finalize on pending application including that of seeking for Kenyan Citizenship.
Hannan acquired her work permit on 2007 after quitting BBC to start her own Media firm, Voxcom Ltd. She has lived in Kenya since 1988.
She has been renewing it regularly until 2013 when government through the then Interior CS, Joseph Ole Lenku ruled that her presence in the country was unwanted.
Hannan’s firm produced videos which were used by civil society groups to challenge President Uhuru Kenyatta’s election in 2013, a pointer to why she was declared a prohibited immigrant in Kenya.
She produces films for the huge international humanitarian organizations including the UN, Oxfam and European Union (EU).