Kenyan lawyer and politician Martha Karua on May 18, 2025, became another high-profile official to be deported from Tanzania after ruffling the feathers of senior government officials ahead of the neighbouring country’s November elections.

Karua, who was in that country to attend court proceedings involving opposition chief Tundu Lissu, was deported aboard a Kenya Airways flight at around 3 pm.

Also ejected were human rights advocate Lynn Ngugi and Law Society of Kenya council member Gloria Kimani, in a move that sparked an outcry from lawyers, politicians, and civil society groups.

The trio were put on a flight back to Kenya after hours of waiting, having been denied entry at Julius Nyerere International Airport in Dar es Salaam and later detained under unclear circumstances.

The three were in Tanzania to observe court proceedings in the ongoing treason case against Lissu, chairperson of the main opposition party CHADEMA.

Their mission, they said, was professional and within the framework of international human rights practices that protect the right to attend public trials.

The Tanzania Human Rights Defenders Coalition (THRDC) condemned the arrest, calling it arbitrary and unjustified. Yesterday, in an official statement, THRDC said it had received credible reports confirming the Kenyans were detained shortly after landing.

“We are deeply shocked and disturbed by this incident, especially given that this is not the first time Advocate Martha Karua has participated in observing proceedings in this matter,” the statement said.

“On 24th April 2025, she appeared in court for the same purpose without any interference from authorities.”

Speaking from the airport via social media, Karua expressed frustration and disbelief over the treatment she and others received.

“Deportation complete! On board @KQSupport flight No 485 for Nairobi,” Karua wrote in her post.

Karua and her colleagues were detained in the airport for a while, adding that they were not given a reason for their detention.

“We are at the Mwalimu Nyerere international airport Dar es Salaam where the three of us have been detained awaiting deportation. We thought that as citizens of Jumuia [East African Community] we walk free, but not yet Uhuru,” Karua said.

“The great Mwalimu Nyerere who welcomed all people, the oppressed of Africa, this is not what he must have envisioned, that we can be detained here.”

Foreign observers

She added that the supervisor at the airport informed them their entry had been denied, without offering any reasons.

“I am concerned that as a citizen of the East African Community, my access within a member country appears inexplicably restricted,” she posted on X.

Karua said their detention reflected fear within President Samia Suluhu Hassan’s administration about foreign observers monitoring politically sensitive trials.

The East African Law Society, along with the Tanzania Bar Association Human Rights Committee, and THRDC, are actively following the matter closely.

“We have instructed Advocate Hekima Mwasipu to pursue all necessary legal steps to secure the immediate and unconditional release of the detained advocates,” the statement noted.

Supporters and rights activists have accused Suluhu’s administration of intensifying political repression. Since she took office, critics say, there has been an increase in extrajudicial killings, politically motivated arrests, and restrictions on press freedom.

The arrest of Lissu in April on treason charges and the exclusion of CHADEMA from the upcoming October elections have drawn widespread condemnation.

Karua, a former Kenyan justice minister and a vocal regional democracy advocate, has previously observed Lissu’s hearings without incident. Observers say the sudden denial of entry could signal growing unease among Tanzanian authorities about foreign attention to domestic political trials.

“The right to observe public trials is a recognised component of a fair and transparent judicial process, as enshrined in both domestic law and international human rights instruments, including the African Charter on Human and Peoples’ Rights and the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights,” said THRDC.

Human rights organisations have called on the Tanzanian government to uphold its legal obligations under the African Charter on Human and Peoples’ Rights and the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights, both of which guarantee the right to observe public trials.

LSK President Faith Odhiambo expressed her disappointment on social media, stating: “This is quite unfortunate that though we should be enjoying free movement of persons within the East African region, Kenyans can be detained for merely being lawyers. I hope @SingoeiAKorir can urgently intervene.”

The People Liberation Party deputy chairperson, Kabala Kile, also issued a statement yesterday condemning the detention and deportation of Karua and her colleagues, who were subjected to hours of interrogation.

“This disgraceful act is not only an affront to their personal dignity and fundamental freedoms but also a blatant violation of the principles of the East African Community, of which both Kenya and Tanzania are founding members,” he said.

Democracy advocate

Karua has long been a vocal advocate for democracy, the rule of law, and human rights across East Africa. Her detention in Tanzania echoes similar experiences she has faced in the region while trying to observe politically sensitive trials.

During the trial of Ugandan politician Kizza Besigye, she was denied an audience with the court, being informed that her application for a practising licence from the Uganda Law Council had not been approved.

This highlights growing intolerance toward external observers and heightened fears of eroding democratic space in East Africa. Karua has been a consistent presence at political trials across the region, including in Tanzania, where she previously observed court proceedings involving Lissu without interference.