Residents of Kisumu city have re-ignited the debate on whether National Resistance Movement (NRM) Kenya leader Dr Miguna Miguna's deportation was necessary.
Some of the residents on Wednesday held placards in the lakeside city telling President Uhuru Kenyatta not to set foot in Kisumu while Miguna is still in Canada where he was exiled, after overseeing the swearing-in of opposition leader Raila Odinga as the people's president at Nairobi's Uhuru Park on January 30th.
"Without Miguna, Uhuru should not step in Kisumu," a placard wielded along one of the roads in Kisumu town read on Wednesday.
Uhuru has been keen on visiting Nyanza since he met Raila at his Harambee House office in Nairobi, but the visits have always been postponed.
Immediately after the handshake, he was scheduled to travel to Nyanza alongside Raila to meet Tanzania President John Magufuli, but the tour was cancelled in the last minute as the president had other engagements.
Kisumu residents then, said they would welcome the president.
But it seems Miguna's continued stay in exile has compelled them to change their stance on Uhuru's visit to Kenya's third largest town.
Miguna claims he was born in Nyando, Kisumu County.
The lawyer has been busy on social media criticising his deportation and maintains that the development is illegal as he is a Kenyan by birth.
The government insists that Miguna denounced his citizenship and became Canadian.
He is expected to apply for the Kenyan citizenship afresh, according to the Immigration Department.