Prominent Kenyan politician and People’s Liberation Party (PLP) leader Martha Karua was deported from Tanzania on Sunday, following a six-hour standoff with immigration officials at Julius Nyerere International Airport in Dar es Salaam. Karua, along with human rights lawyers Lynn Ngugi and Gloria Kimani, had traveled to Tanzania as invited guests of the East Africa Law Society (EALS) and the Law Society of Kenya (LSK).
According to Karua’s statement on X (formerly Twitter), the group arrived in Dar es Salaam at 9 a.m., but were held by immigration authorities who confiscated their passports and delayed their entry. “I arrived at Dar es Salaam, Mwalimu Julius Nyerere International Airport at 9 am, and immigration referred my passport to the supervisor, who kept me waiting for an hour as she consulted her superiors,” she wrote.
Karua later confirmed her deportation, tweeting: “Deportation complete! On board KQ flight No 485 for Nairobi.”
The former Justice Minister expressed concern over what she described as unjustified restrictions on movement within the East African Community (EAC), noting, “As a citizen of Jumuiya, my access within the East African Community appears inexplicably restricted.”
Karua suspects the move was politically motivated due to the group’s perceived interest in the legal case against Tanzanian opposition leader Tundu Lissu, who is facing treason charges. “I suspect all visitors who may be interested in the politically motivated case against Tundu Lissu are being denied entry,” she stated.
Kenya’s Principal Secretary for Foreign Affairs, Korir Sing’Oei, said the Kenyan High Commission in Dar es Salaam had reached out to Tanzanian authorities and was following up on the situation. “Our Mission in Dar es Salaam has reached out to relevant authorities in the United Republic of Tanzania and will be apprising further on the matter shortly,” he said.
The incident has sparked criticism among legal and political circles in East Africa, raising concerns about freedom of movement and political transparency within the EAC.
