Tensions have flared between Kenya and Tanzania following the controversial deportation of several prominent Kenyan lawyers and activists who had travelled to Dar es Salaam in support of Tanzanian opposition leader Tundu Lissu’s treason trial.
Among those deported were former Kenyan Justice Minister and PLP leader Martha Karua, ex-Chief Justice Willy Mutunga, Law Society of Kenya (LSK) Council member Gloria Kimani, and activists Lynn Ngugi, Hanifa Adan, and Hussein Khalid. Kenyan activist Boniface Mwangi and Ugandan colleague Agather Atuhaire were reportedly arrested, detained incommunicado, and tortured before being dumped near the Tanzanian border.
Tanzanian MPs, in a Monday parliamentary session, staunchly backed President Samia Suluhu Hassan’s decision, arguing that the group’s presence constituted “imported activism” meant to destabilize the country. They called for enhanced border controls and decried the activists’ actions as foreign interference.
Geita MP Joseph Musukuma escalated tensions with a provocative statement, saying, “We in Tanzania have nothing to learn from Kenya—absolutely nothing,” dismissing both Kenya’s political landscape and its activists. Singida West MP Elibariki Kingu echoed this sentiment, warning that Tanzania is not a lawless nation and emphasizing the country’s past support for Kenya during its times of political unrest.
The comments triggered sharp responses from Kenyan lawmakers. Nairobi Senator Edwin Sifuna called for Tuesday’s Senate session to be conducted in Swahili so that Tanzanian counterparts could understand Kenya’s position clearly. “Kesho italazim Kiswahili tu bungeni ili wenzetu wa Tanzania watupate kwa njia ya uhakiki,” he wrote on X.
Martha Karua reposted a video of Tanzanian MP Maryam Omar Zaid suggesting that the deported Kenyans should have been “dealt with once and for all.” Karua tagged President Suluhu, her ruling CCM party, and the East African Community, demanding accountability.
The incident has ignited a heated debate across East Africa over human rights, sovereignty, and regional diplomacy, with calls for mutual respect and a reconsideration of how civic activism is treated within the East African Community framework.
