People’s Liberation Party (PLP) leader Martha Karua has come out strongly in defense of retired Chief Justice Willy Mutunga after he was deported from Tanzania on May 19, 2025. Mutunga was among a group of Kenyan and regional human rights defenders who were denied entry and detained at Julius Nyerere International Airport while seeking to observe a court case involving Tanzanian opposition leader Tundu Lissu.
Karua responded to prominent lawyer Ahmednasir Abdullahi on X, dismissing insinuations that Mutunga posed a threat. “Willy is not poisonous,” she posted, rebuffing Ahmednasir’s claim that Tanzanian intelligence considered Mutunga a destabilizing figure compared to his successor, David Maraga, who was reportedly allowed in without incident.
The deportation of Mutunga, alongside Kenyan activists Hanifa Adan and Hussein Khalid, followed a similar incident on May 18 when Karua herself was denied entry into Tanzania. She was detained alongside Law Society of Kenya Council member Gloria Kimani and Pan-African Progressive Leaders Solidarity Network member Lynn Ngugi. All were reportedly in the country to monitor Lissu’s legal proceedings.
Tensions escalated further when Kenyan activist Boniface Mwangi and Ugandan journalist Agather Atuhaire were arrested in Dar es Salaam. Mwangi is reportedly facing possible charges under Tanzania’s immigration laws, with threats of a three-year jail term.
Tanzanian President Samia Suluhu Hassan responded on May 19 with a stern warning against what she termed “external interference.” Emphasizing the country’s sovereignty, she accused foreign activists of attempting to destabilize Tanzania under the guise of human rights observation.
“Let’s not be Shamba la Bibi where everyone can come and say whatever they want,” Suluhu declared, signaling a hardline stance. She alleged that some activists are under scrutiny in their home countries and warned they should not bring unrest to Tanzania.
Karua, however, maintained that her visit was lawful under the East African Community’s free movement treaty and condemned what she sees as shrinking civic space in the region. The incident has sparked concern among civil society groups about Tanzania’s growing intolerance toward dissent and international scrutiny.
