Nominated Senator Veronica Maina has called on Tanzanian authorities to provide clear reasons for the recent deportation of prominent Kenyan figures, including lawyer and politician Martha Karua and former Chief Justice Willy Mutunga. Speaking during an appearance on Citizen TV’s DayBreak show, Senator Maina emphasized the need for transparency and communication, especially when dealing with high-profile individuals.
The deportation of Karua and Mutunga, who had traveled to Tanzania to attend the court hearing of opposition leader Tundu Lissu currently facing treason charges sparked regional debate on the balance between state sovereignty and diplomatic courtesy.
“We are at different stages of democracy, and they have the right to determine who accesses or not,” Maina acknowledged. However, she added that “the honourable thing that a neighbour should do is to be able to explain when denying access to visitors and the reason they are being deported.”
Senator Maina highlighted the serious implications deportation carries, particularly concerning one’s immigration history. “Being deported is a very serious thing,” she noted, stressing that it could jeopardize future visa applications and international travel.
Her comments came shortly after Tanzanian President Samia Suluhu Hassan broke her silence on the issue. In a nationally televised speech launching the country’s new foreign policy, President Hassan declared that foreign activists would not be allowed to interfere in Tanzania’s internal matters. She claimed that some individuals from neighboring countries had developed a pattern of meddling in the country’s affairs, including attempts to attend politically sensitive court proceedings.
“We have started to observe a trend in which activists from within our region are attempting to intrude and interfere in our affairs,” President Hassan said. She warned that Tanzania would not tolerate actions that might compromise its political stability, arguing that other countries in the region have already suffered from internal disruptions.
“If they have been controlled in their country, let them not come to disrupt us,” she said.
As the region grapples with evolving democratic practices and cross-border solidarity movements, calls like Senator Maina’s underscore the need for clarity and diplomacy in managing sensitive political incidents.
