The British government's decision to revoke the Kenyan transport minister's visa to London was purely a personal matter between himself and the UK and should be pursued outside the orbit of the government, a senior official has said.

In a statement issued here late Thursday, Assistant Minister for Foreign Affairs Orwa Ojodeh said that Transport Minister Chris Murungaru was blocked from entering the UK because of his " character, conduct and associations."

The east African nation also distanced itself from the minister 's plight, saying the reasons for the ban were private and confidential and has been personally communicated to him.

"The issues of visas are guided by rules and laws of the respective country. Murungaru should follow up the matter himself, without making it look like a national issue," Ojodeh told lawmakers in a ministerial statement.

But a letter sent to Murungaru by the British government said the cancellation of the visa was personally sanctioned by British Home Secretary Charles Clarke.

It said the decision was taken after "careful consideration" on July 21.

"The purpose of this letter is to notify you that on July 21, after most careful consideration, the home secretary personally directed that you should be excluded from United Kingdom on the grounds that your presence would not be conducive to the public good in the light of your character, conduct and associations," the letter read.

The transport minister asked Britain to specify the wrongs he committed so as to stop speculation. This, the minister said should be done "categorically and without delay."

"We challenge the High Commission to categorically and without delay ... reveal what exactly he has done to warrant his character, conduct and associations to be of a threat to the British public," the statement noted.

But in the statement, Ojodeh said the British government confirmed the minister's visa had been revoked and the reasons communicated to him under confidential cover.

He said the British government in its response said it was under no obligation to disclose the reasons to a third party, having directly informed the person affected.

The British government revoked the minister's visa on Wednesday last week under an existing law but refused to disclose the evidence against him.

According to an alert circulated to airlines, the British High Commission in Nairobi advised all the airlines that fly to UK not to carry the minister, even on transit arrangement to Britain because his visa has been revoked.

Murungaru, 51, is considered one of Kenya's most powerful politicians under President Mwai Kibaki's administration.

The transport minister whose current portfolio grants him control over airports, ports, the meteorological department and commuter transport, is barred from even transacting any business in the UK on behalf of the Kenyan government.

He becomes the first Kenyan serving minister in the current ruling coalition to suffer the slap of a travel ban by a European state and only the second lawmaker.

Last December, former Kenyan minister Nicholas Biwott was banned from entering the United States for alleged corruption.

Biwott, 64, was considered one of Kenya's most powerful politicians during the reign of former president Daniel arap Moi.

Source: Xinhua