Tanzania Deports Martha Karua after Airport Standoff

People’s Liberation Party (PLP) leader Martha Karua was deported from Tanzania Sunday after being detained for nearly six hours at Julius Nyerere International Airport in Dar es Salaam, highlighting growing regional tensions over political freedoms.

“Deportation complete! On board KQ flight No 485 for Nairobi,” Karua wrote on her social media account, confirming her forced return to Kenya.

According to Karua, she arrived at the airport at 9 a.m. when immigration officials referred her passport to a supervisor, who kept her waiting for an hour while consulting with superiors. Ultimately, Tanzanian authorities denied her entry into the country.

Karua was traveling with two Kenyan human rights attorneys, Lynn Ngugi and Gloria Kimani. All three were guests of the East Africa Law Society (EALS) and the Law Society of Kenya (LSK).

The deportation appears to be politically motivated, as Karua suggested her detention was linked to interest in the case of detained Tanzanian opposition leader Tundu Lissu, who currently faces treason charges.

“The common thread between Gloria Kimani, a council member of LSK, and Lynn Ngugi is that we are guests of EALS. I suspect all visitors who may be interested in the politically motivated case against Tundu Lissu are being denied entry,” Karua stated.

Diplomatic response

The incident prompted a swift response from Kenya’s government. Principal Secretary for Foreign Affairs Korir Sing’Oei confirmed that the Kenyan mission in Dar es Salaam, headed by High Commissioner Isaac Njenga, had contacted Tanzanian authorities regarding the matter.

“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,” Sing’Oei said.

Karua, a respected political figure and former presidential candidate in Kenya, expressed concern about what this incident means for East African Community integration.

“I am concerned that, as a citizen of Jumuiya, my access within the East African Community (EAC) appears inexplicably restricted,” she noted, referring to the regional intergovernmental organization that promotes cooperation among its member states.

This incident raises questions about freedom of movement within the EAC and may strain diplomatic relations between Kenya and Tanzania as officials work to resolve the situation.​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​

Karua has been representing Tanzanian opposition leader Tindu Lissu, who is on trial for treason and faces a possible death penalty.

Lissu is due in court on Monday.

The trial comes as Tanzania prepares for elections in October.

Tanzanian opposition leader Tindu Lissu faces treason charges ahead of an election in October © ERICKY BONIPHACE / AFP

A former justice minister in Kenya, Karua has been vocal about “democratic backsliding” in the East Africa region.

She has also been representing Ugandan opposition leader Kizza Besigye, who was kidnapped in Kenya last year and taken back to his home country to also face treason charges.

Uganda holds elections in January.

“What we are seeing is total erosion of democratic principles in the three countries: Kenya, Tanzania and Uganda,” Karua told AFP in an interview earlier this month.

“All these countries now have become dangerous, not just to others but to their own nationals. I tie this to the forthcoming elections,” she said.

She accused the leadership of the three countries of “collaborating”.

“It’s a pattern,” she said. “They are neutering the opposition ahead of elections.”

Karua launched the People’s Liberation Party in February, vowing to engage with youths as she prepares a run for the presidency in 2027.

She faces competition from an array of opposition leaders in the country, all hoping to take on President William Ruto, whose popularity was undermined by mass protests last year over tax rises and corruption.