Kenya needs transit visa to deport terror suspect

NAIROBI - A radical Islamist preacher listed as a suspected terrorist cannot be deported from Kenya to his home country Jamaica, as Britain and South Africa have refused the required transit visa, The Standard reported Thursday.

Sheikh Abdullah al-Faisal, deported from Britain several years ago after preaching hatred against Jews, Hindus, and the West, continued to be held in Kenya as no direct flights to Jamaica were available and travel via third countries required a transit visa.

“He is still in Kenya, but we are thinking of other options. he will have to go because he is a threat to security,” a security official was quoted as saying.

Al-Faisal, who is named on an international list of suspected terrorists, had travelled to Kenya from Tanzania, but Tanzania has also refused to take him back.

Kenya was now negotiating with possible other countries for a transit visa to deport the preacher who had been arrested by anti-terrorist officers in late December, the report said.