People’s Liberation Party (PLP) leader Martha Karua said she was denied entry to Tanzania on Sunday, May 18, 2025.
In a social media post on Sunday morning, Karua said she, alongside human rights defenders Gloria Kimani and Lynn Ngugi were detained at the Julius Nyerere International Airport in Tanzania.
The three were headed to Tanzania on the invitation of the East Africa Law Society.
According to Karua, she arrived in Tanzania at 9.00 am, and an immigration official at the airport referred her passport to the supervisor.
The said supervisor kept her waiting for an hour as she “consulted her superiors”, who later denied her entry to Tanzania.
“I am concerned that as a citizen of @jumuiya my access within @jumuiya country appears inexplicably restricted,” Karua added.
“The supervisor has now informed us that our entry into Tanzania has been denied, no reasons given,” said Karua on X.
The Kenyan Senior Counsel said the denial of entry is linked to her interest in the case against Tanzanian opposition leader Tundu Lissu.
The Chadema party chairman was on April 10 charged with treason after his arrest at a public rally where he called for electoral reforms.
Karua has since led a pan-african rights lobby group seeking the release of Lissu and the dropping of the politically motivated charges against him.
Karua, Ngugi and Kimani were set to observe a hearing related to the case against Lissu, scheduled for Monday, May 19, at the Kisutu courts.
The three are part of a legal and civil society delegation invited by the East Africa Law Society in coordination with the Law Society of Kenya and the Uganda Law Society.
Supporters and legal colleagues have voiced concern over the trio’s detention and are calling on Tanzanian authorities to respect the principles of free movement and legal representation within the East African Community (EAC).
The president of East Africa Law Society Ramah Abubakar expressed shock at the incident that happened at the Julius Nyerere International Airport.
“We have dispatched our representatives to assist and assess the situation. I am imploring on HE President @SuluhuSamia to intervene and allow entry in the spirit and letter of the EAC Treaty on freedom of Movement of all East Africans. We shall be issuing a full statement in this matter in due course,” he said.
Tanzanian immigration authorities had not issued an official statement by the time of publication.
Lissu, a former presidential candidate, was charged with treason in April 2025.
Rights campaigners and opposition parties have accused Hassan’s government of a growing crackdown on political opponents, citing a string of unexplained abductions and killings.
The government has denied the allegations and has opened an investigation into reported abductions.
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