Tundu Lissu Case: Martha Karua Detained in Tanzania, To Be Deported Back to Nairobi
- Senior counsel Martha Karua, along with human rights defenders Gloria Kimani and Lynn Ngugi, was detained at Julius Nyerere International Airport in Dar es Salaam
- The trio, invited by the East Africa Law Society, had travelled to observe a court hearing involving Tanzanian opposition leader Tundu Lissu, who is facing treason
- Karua criticised the incident as a violation of East African Community values and suggested their detention may be politically motivated
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Nancy Odindo, a TUKO.co.ke journalist, has over four years of experience covering Kenyan politics, news, and features for digital and print media.
Tanzania - Senior counsel and leader of Kenya’s People Liberation Party, Martha Karua, has been detained at Mwalimu Julius Nyerere International Airport in Dar es Salaam along with two other lawyers.
Source: Twitter
Karua, along with human rights defenders Gloria Kimani and Lynn Ngugi, have been denied entry into Tanzania without explanation and are currently awaiting deportation.
Karua said she arrived at the airport at 9am, when immigration officials flagged her passport and referred it to a supervisor.
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After an hour of waiting, she was informed that her entry—along with that of Kimani and Ngugi—had been denied.
Why was Martha Karua detained in Tanzania?
In a statement issued while in detention, Karua expressed disappointment over their treatment, citing the ideals of East African unity and freedom of movement.
“We are chilling at Mwalimu Julius Nyerere International Airport in Dar es Salaam, Tanzania, where the three of us have been detained, awaiting deportation,” Karua said. “We thought that as citizens of the Jumuiya [East African Community], we could work freely — but not yet Uhuru.”
Karua invoked the legacy of Tanzania’s founding president, Julius Nyerere, noting his legacy of welcoming the oppressed from across Africa.
“This is not what he must have envisaged — that we are detained here, despite our common trade and shared regional ideals,” she added.
Source: Twitter
“No reasons were given,” Karua said. “The common thread between myself, Gloria Kimani (a Law Society of Kenya council member), and Lynn Ngugi is that we are guests of the East Africa Law Society. I suppose our interest in the politically motivated case against Tundu Lissu is the issue.”
She ended her statement with the liberation slogan, "Aluta continua,” signalling continued resistance against political oppression.
The trio was scheduled to observe a court hearing on Monday, May 19, at the Kisutu Resident Magistrate’s Court, where Tanzanian opposition leader Lissu is facing treason and cybercrime-related charges.
Meanwhile, authorities in Tanzania have yet to issue an official statement on the reason for the detention and possible deportation of the lawyers.
Why is Tundu Lissu in detention?
Meanwhile, the Chadema leader's arrest occurred amid mounting political tensions surrounding his 'No Reforms, No Election' campaign ahead of Tanzania’s 2025 General Election.
Lissu was arraigned on Thursday, April 10, before the Kisutu Resident Magistrate’s Court in Dar es Salaam. According to the charge sheet, Lissu was accused of inciting rebellion during a political rally held on April 3 in Dar es Salaam.
Additionally, he faced cybercrime charges stemming from a YouTube video in which Lissu allegedly accused Suluhu's government of election manipulation, using police to rig votes, and appointing judges loyal to the ruling Chama Cha Mapinduzi (CCM) party.
The case has drawn regional and international attention, with human rights defenders raising concerns over political repression and the shrinking space for dissent in Tanzania.
Proofreading by Jackson Otukho, copy editor at TUKO.co.ke.
Source: TUKO.co.ke
