June 10, 1997: The Yemen Government says Islamic preacher Sheikh Khalid Balala is not a Yemeni citizen, contrary to claims by Kenyan authorities. The Ambassador, Mr. Ahmed Ali Maisari, said the preacher was a Kenyan and asked the Government to provide any proof to the contrary. President Moi has on several occasions said that Sheikh Balala was a Yemeni and immigration ofticials contend that the preacher lost his Kenyan citizenship when he failed to renounce his Yemeni nationality at the age of 21. The preacher, who lives in forced exile in Germany, last week failed in a bid to convince a court to reinstate his passport, which was withdrawn three years ago. Mr. Justice Daniel Kennedy Aganyanya said the application was filed under the wrong legal provision. He also said that the Kenyan-born preacher should have renounced the Yemeni citizenship if he wished to remain a Kenyan. But Mr. Maisari said: “Although his father is Yemeni, the preacher does not have documents of his Yemeni citizenship and he has never even been to our country. Anybody who thinks the preacher is a Yemeni should provide us with his citizenship number, because, as far as our government is concerned, the man is simply not our citizen.

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