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 Kenyans.co.ke, the International Press Association of East Africa (IPAEA) has raised concerns over the journalist's deportation and demanded an explanation from the Kenyan government.
IPAEA said 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.
According to her account, the officers seized her phones, laptops and other electronic devices before taking her to Nairobi and placing her on a flight bound for New York.
Collage of undated images of U.S. journalist Margot Kiser
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Margot Kiser
However, the journalist later disembarked in Dubai, where she stayed, abandoning travel back 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.
According to the association, Kiser was investigating the Killings in Shakahola that are 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, however, argued that Kiser's activities posed a threat to the moral fabric and national security of the Republic of Kenya. The government, according to the journalist, has provided no evidence of what those activities were, raising questions about whether her reporting on the Shakahola case was connected to her deportation.
Following her removal from Kenya, the U.S. journalist later applied for and was granted a Class K residency permit, according to the association's statement. She attempted to return to Kenya on March 8, 2026, but was denied entry before learning that she had been declared a prohibited immigrant.
Kiser argues that her deportation and being denied entry even after being granted a permit is unlawful. It is for this reason that she has sued the government, particularly 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 in the statement.
The association further petitioned the government to explain the circumstances surrounding Kiser's 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.
Controversial pastor Paul Mackenzie (right) appearing before the Tononoka Children's Court on Wednesday, September 3, 2025.
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ODPP