Wamuzi News Ke
A diplomatic storm is brewing in East Africa after Tanzanian authorities forcefully deported prominent Kenyan lawyer and politician Martha Karua, accusing her of flouting local legal procedures.
The shocking move comes amid growing regional tensions and rising pressure surrounding the high-profile treason trial of Tanzanian opposition figure Tundu Lissu.
Karua, along with Kenyan lawyer Gloria Kimani and human rights activist Lynn Ngugi, was ejected from Tanzania in what officials are calling a necessary step to protect the integrity of the country’s legal system.
The trio had traveled to lend legal support to Lissu, a key critic of President Samia Suluhu Hassan’s government — but never made it to court.
Tanzania’s Minister for Constitutional Affairs and Justice, Damas Ndumbaro, confirmed the deportation in a fiery press conference on Tuesday in Dodoma, accusing the Kenyans of violating national laws by attempting to engage in legal proceedings without proper accreditation.
“What they intended to do was illegal and unacceptable. No one is above the law, and Tanzania will not tolerate breaches of its judicial process,” declared Ndumbaro, defending the government’s stern response.
Authorities intercepted the group before they could enter the courtroom, swiftly putting them on flights back to Kenya. The move has raised eyebrows across the region, especially as President Samia earlier warned against what she called “interference” by foreign activists.
“We’re seeing a dangerous trend where outsiders are meddling in our internal affairs,” President Samia said during a recent address unveiling Tanzania’s updated foreign policy.
She urged national security agencies to remain vigilant, warning: “We must not allow unruly foreign actors to cross the line.”
Karua, a fiery voice in the push for regional democratic accountability, has previously worked on the controversial return of Ugandan opposition leader Kizza Besigye. Her presence in Lissu’s case was seen by many as a powerful symbol of pan-African solidarity — until it was abruptly cut short.
Sources report that former Kenyan Chief Justice Willy Mutunga and other legal activists also faced resistance at Tanzanian airports in the wake of Karua’s deportation, deepening concerns over Tanzania’s handling of cross-border democratic engagements.
Lissu, a vocal challenger of President Samia and a key figure in Tanzania’s opposition party Chadema, faces treason charges linked to his call for sweeping electoral reforms. He denies all allegations and is expected to contest the presidency in October’s general elections.
