Martha Karua Deported from Tanzania While Supporting Tundu Lissu’s Treason Trial
May 19, 2025 | Nairobi/Dodoma – Kenyan opposition leader and former Justice Minister Martha Karua says she has been deported from Tanzania, where she intended to attend the court hearing of Tundu Lissu, leader of Tanzania’s main opposition party, Chadema.
Karua, along with fellow Kenyan lawyer Gloria Kimani and activist Lynn Ngugi, was detained for hours and expelled by Tanzanian authorities. No official explanation has been released.
The move comes just days before Lissu’s high-profile treason hearing, intensifying concerns about political repression ahead of Tanzania’s October 2025 general elections.
Political Backlash and Outrage
Karua, a longtime human rights advocate and vocal critic of shrinking democratic space in East Africa, condemned the deportation as unlawful and politically motivated.
“The solution to hiding the shame of a false treason case is not to detain foreign lawyers, but to drop the case altogether,” said Chadema Secretary General John Mnyika.
The Tanzania Human Rights Defenders Coalition called the incident a violation of due process, highlighting that Karua had previously been permitted to observe Lissu’s court appearance in April.
Tundu Lissu: The Opposition’s Resilient Voice
Tundu Lissu, a survivor of a 2017 assassination attempt, was arrested in April after leading a protest under the slogan “No Reforms, No Election.” Charged with treason, Lissu now faces the possibility of the death penalty, with no option for bail.
His party, Chadema, has since been barred from contesting the 2025 elections after refusing to sign a controversial electoral code of conduct. The document, requiring parties to “maintain peace,” is viewed by critics as a state tool to suppress dissent.
Democratic Concerns in East Africa
Karua’s deportation underscores growing anxieties about democratic backsliding in Tanzania, once hailed for its commitment to political freedom under President Samia Suluhu Hassan.
Initially celebrated for reversing the harsh policies of her predecessor John Magufuli, President Hassan now faces mounting accusations of political repression, especially following the exclusion of opposition parties from upcoming elections.
Karua also represents Ugandan opposition leader Kizza Besigye, who was previously abducted in Kenya and returned to Uganda under similar treason-related charges.
A Regional Pattern of Intimidation
The incident echoes a worrying trend across East Africa, where opposition leaders face mounting legal hurdles and cross-border political targeting.
Despite serving as Kenya’s Justice Minister (2005–2009) and running alongside Raila Odinga in the 2022 elections, Karua remains unafraid to speak out.
“I want people to be safe and protected. I want to live on the right side of history,” Karua said recently when asked about regional authoritarianism.
Conclusion
As tensions rise ahead of Tanzania’s elections, the deportation of a prominent international observer like Martha Karua signals deeper issues at play. With Chadema silenced and its leader under threat, East Africa’s democratic future remains uncertain.
