LILONGWE-(MaraviPost)-Kenyan politician and former Justice Minister Martha Karua has revealed that she was denied entry into Tanzania on the morning of Sunday, May 18, 2025.
Karua was travelling to Dar es Salaam along with two colleagues to observe a court hearing involving Tanzanian opposition leader Tundu Lissu.
She made the announcement through her official X (formerly Twitter) account, where she stated that the trio was being detained and facing deportation.
“I have been denied entry into Tanzania and I and two colleagues are awaiting deportation at Mwalimu Nyerere International Airport, Dar es Salaam,” she posted.
The two others detained alongside her are Gloria Kimani, a council member of the Law Society of Kenya, and Lynn Ngugi, a well-known human rights advocate.
Karua shared a photo of herself and her colleagues retrieving their bags, while awaiting deportation at the airport.
According to Karua, they were invited as guests of the East Africa Law Society (EALS) and were scheduled to attend a court session connected to Lissu’s ongoing treason case.
She explained that upon arrival at Julius Nyerere International Airport at 9:00 a.m., her passport was handed over to a supervisor.
The supervisor kept her waiting for over an hour while consulting higher authorities without providing any explanation.
Eventually, the group was informed that their entry had been denied, but no official reason was given for the decision.
“The supervisor has now informed us that our entry into Tanzania has been denied. No reasons given,” Karua emphasized in her post.
She expressed concern over what she described as a restriction of her freedom of movement as a citizen of the East African Community (EAC).
“I am concerned that as a citizen of EAC, my access within a @jumuiya country appears inexplicably restricted,” she said.
Tundu Lissu, the opposition leader at the center of the case, was charged with treason in April 2025.
His arrest came a day after he held a political rally in southern Tanzania.
Lissu’s charges are linked to his “No Reforms, No Election” campaign, which demands comprehensive electoral reforms before the general elections slated for October this year.
Karua has been a consistent advocate for Lissu’s release and recently assumed a leadership position in a pan-African human rights organization.
She has publicly denounced the charges against Lissu as politically motivated.
In addition to her work on Lissu’s case, Karua is also part of the legal team defending Ugandan opposition leader Kizza Besigye, who faces similar charges in his own country.
Tundu Lissu is a key political figure expected to challenge incumbent President Samia Suluhu Hassan in the upcoming general elections.
Lissu previously survived an assassination attempt in 2017 and has since alternated between exile and active politics.
President Samia Suluhu Hassan ascended to power in 2021 following the sudden death of her predecessor, John Pombe Magufuli.
By the time of publishing this article, Tanzanian authorities had not released an official statement regarding the deportation of Karua and her colleagues.
