Tanzania Deports Martha Karua After Detaining Her & 2 Kenyan Lawyers
It all began when Karua revealed that she landed at the airport around 9 a.m., where immigration officials flagged her passport and passed it on to a supervisor
Viral Tea Ke Writer 
Martha Karua, leader of the People’s Liberation Party (PLP), was deported from Tanzania on Sunday, May 18, after being held for nearly six hours at Julius Nyerere International Airport in Dar es Salaam — a move that underscores rising regional tensions around political freedoms.
“Deportation complete! On board KQ flight No 485 for Nairobi,” Karua wrote on her X account, confirming her forced return to Kenya.
It all began when Karua revealed that she landed at the airport around 9 a.m., where immigration officials flagged her passport and passed it on to a supervisor. After an hour of back-and-forth with higher-ups, authorities ultimately denied her entry into Tanzania.
A screengrab of PLP party leader Martha Karua (Right) and lawyers Lynn Ngugi and Gloria Kimani speaking from the Mwalimu Nyerere International Airport on Sunday, May 18, 2025. /MARTHA KARUA
She was accompanied by Kenyan human rights lawyers Lynn Ngugi and Gloria Kimani, both of whom were also invited by the East Africa Law Society (EALS) and the Law Society of Kenya (LSK).
The deportation appeared politically charged, with Karua suggesting that her detention was tied to her interest in the case of Tanzanian opposition figure Tundu Lissu, who is currently facing 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.
The incident triggered a prompt reaction from the Kenyan government. Foreign Affairs Principal Secretary Korir Sing’Oei stated that Kenya’s High Commissioner in Dar es Salaam, Isaac Njenga, had reached out to Tanzanian officials to address the situation.
“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 prominent political leader and former presidential contender in Kenya, voiced concern over the implications of the incident for East African Community (EAC) 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 organisation that promotes cooperation among its member states.
The incident casts doubt on the freedom of movement within the East African Community (EAC) and could put a strain on diplomatic ties between Kenya and Tanzania as efforts to address the issue continue.
Karua has been advocating for Tanzanian opposition leader Tundu Lissu, who is facing treason charges that could carry the death penalty. Lissu is scheduled to appear in court on Monday, just months ahead of Tanzania’s general elections set for October.
In April, Tundu Lissu, national chair of Tanzania's main opposition party Chadema, was arrested a day after leading a rally in southern Tanzania demanding electoral reforms. He was later charged with treason.
Tanzanian opposition leader Tindu Lissu faces treason charges ahead of an election in October. /AFP
