Hattle Home
Craig Hattle, the Zimbabwean private pilot who was hounded out of Kenya last week because he flew into the country without having applied for a clearance 72 hours in advance, has arrived safely back in Harare. He encountered no problems with the Tanzanian or Zimbabwean authorities on the way home.
Hattle was fined 2000 shillings by a Nairobi Court for his infraction of the Kenyan Air Law (Cap. 394). He was picked up by CID and Immigration officials after the court case and "confined". His 14 day visitor visa was cancelled a few hours after his conviction and his passport only returned to him about one five minutes before take-off clearance was given by ATC for his Cessna 182 last Saturday at Wilson Airport.
When questioned on Nation TV on Tuesday's 9 o'clock news, the Government spokesman stated that the Kenya Government thought that Hattle was a "terrorist" and that "the GoK makes no apologies for the way it deals with terrorism". The spokesman went on to say that "Hattle did not state his intentions when he entered Kenya and tried to evade Kenyan radar by turning off his transponder". Pilots who listened to the conversation between Nairobi Radar and Hattle have confirmed that Hattle called 122.3 (Nairobi Radar) at the FIR boundary and talked to Kenyan controllers after checking out with Dar-es-Salaam control. The Government did not produce any evidence about Hattle's allegedly suspicious activities. His crime, for which he was convicted and fined, was "to enter Kenya without requesting a clearance 72 hours in advance".
Hattle's lawyer, Muriuki Mugambi, stated on Nation TV that Hattle's deportation was "illegal" because in Kenya, such measures require "Ministerial approval". This approval had not been given. Although Hattle was held in a prison cell by Government officials before his departure, the Government spokesman denied that he was 'deported'. "His visa was cancelled (on Thursday 26 May) and he was therefore in the country illegally".
Hattle never did manage to see is ailing 80 year old father-in-law - the main purpose of his visit- during his sojourn in Kenya.