US freelance journalist Margot Kiser, who covered the Shakahola killings, has sued the Interior Ministry and Immigration after she was allegedly deported and declared a prohibited immigrant. IPAEA wants answers.
United States freelance journalist Margot Kiser, who was covering the Shakahola killings, has sued the Ministry of Interior and the Directorate of Immigration after she was allegedly deported from Kenya and declared a prohibited immigrant.
In a statement obtained by Don Sami Live, the International Press Association of East Africa (IPAEA) raised concerns over the journalist's deportation and demanded an explanation from the Kenyan government.
According to IPAEA, Kiser reported being forcibly removed from her home in Mombasa on October 10, 2025, by officers from the Directorate of Criminal Investigations (DCI), accompanied by armed police officers.
By her account, the officers seized her phones, laptops and other electronic devices before taking her to Nairobi and putting her on a flight bound for New York. She later got off in Dubai and stayed there instead of continuing to the U.S.
"They seized my phones, laptops and other devices, denied me access to a lawyer or even my son, flew me to Nairobi and put me on an Emirates flight bound for New York. I got off in Dubai and stayed there," Kiser said.
The details come from Kiser's own account as relayed by IPAEA, and have not been independently verified.
IPAEA said Kiser was investigating the Shakahola killings linked to controversial preacher Paul Mackenzie. She had reportedly raised concerns with the Department of Children's Services over allegations that young children, including Mackenzie's own children, were being made to fast.
The Kenyan government has argued that Kiser's activities posed a threat to the moral fabric and national security of the Republic of Kenya. According to the journalist, the government has given no evidence of what those activities were, which raises questions about whether her reporting on Shakahola was connected to her deportation.
After her removal, Kiser says she applied for and was granted a Class K residency permit, according to IPAEA. She tried to return to Kenya on March 8, 2026, but was denied entry and then learned she had been declared a prohibited immigrant.
She argues that her deportation, and the refusal to let her back in even after the permit was granted, are unlawful. She has now sued the Ministry of Interior and the Directorate of Immigration over alleged violations of her constitutional rights.
"Kiser has now sued the Ministry of Interior and the Directorate of Immigration over alleged violations of her constitutional rights," IPAEA said.
The association has asked the government to explain the circumstances of the deportation and to guarantee journalists' right to work safely and freely.
The developments come a day after the Mombasa High Court found Mackenzie and 29 other co-accused guilty of all 191 murder charges against them, with sentencing set for November 6, 2026.