Kenyan lawyer and opposition figure Martha Karua has raised serious concerns about the state of democracy in East Africa following her deportation from Tanzania, where she had planned to attend the treason trial of Tanzanian opposition leader Tundu Lissu.
Karua, a former justice minister and prominent critic of what she terms “democratic backsliding” in the region, described her removal from the country as evidence that Tanzanian authorities are unlikely to conduct a fair trial for Lissu, who leads the opposition Chadema party.
Lissu is expected in court on Monday to face treason charges, which carry the possibility of the death penalty.
According to Karua, she was traveling with Gloria Kimani, a council member of the Law Society of Kenya, and human rights advocate Lynn Ngugi, when the group was denied entry upon arrival at Dar es Salaam airport and placed on a return flight later that same day.
She said they were detained “for no offence, [but] for merely seeking to go and stand for solidarity and to observe the trial of Tundu Lissu”.
Karua’s political party, the People’s Liberation Party (PLP), denounced the incident in a strongly worded statement:
“This disgraceful act is not only an affront to their personal dignity and fundamental freedoms but also a blatant violation of the principles of the East African Community [EAC], of which both Kenya and Tanzania are founding members.”
Karua, who has declared her intention to run for Kenya’s presidency in 2027, described Lissu as the “main challenger” to President Samia Suluhu Hassan of Tanzania. She accused the ruling party of attempting to suppress political competition.
Samia’s party is “subverting the law to lock up the main contenders so that they can sail through unopposed” in the October elections, she said.
She further stated that her deportation reflects a broader political agenda:
Tanzania’s ruling party is “determined to violate the law and are not keen on according Tundu Lissu a fair trial.”
The Chadema party, which Lissu leads, was recently barred from participating in the upcoming elections after it declined to sign the electoral code of conduct, instead demanding reforms. The party has accused President Hassan of reinstating repressive policies reminiscent of her predecessors.
In a recent interview with AFP, Karua described the broader regional picture as grim. She warned that democratic institutions in East Africa are collapsing.
“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. “It’s a pattern. They are neutering the opposition ahead of elections.”
Karua launched the PLP in February in preparation for the 2027 elections, positioning herself among several opposition figures hoping to unseat President William Ruto. Ruto’s popularity has dipped in recent months amid rising public dissatisfaction with his administration’s economic policies and foreign policy setbacks.
Rights organizations report that at least 60 Kenyans were killed during protests in June and July 2024. Since then, over 80 individuals have allegedly been abducted by security forces, with dozens still unaccounted for. The police have denied involvement in these incidents, and President Ruto stated last week that “all those abducted have been reunited with their families.”
Karua, who was Raila Odinga’s running mate in the 2022 presidential election, has voiced grave concerns about the state of governance in Kenya.
“Kenya is in total disarray,” she told AFP. “It’s as if our constitution has been suspended. We have abductions, arbitrary arrests… extrajudicial killings… And the police and authorities fail to take responsibility.”
Karua is also legally representing Ugandan opposition leader Kizza Besigye, who was reportedly abducted in Kenya last year and returned to Uganda to face treason charges.
In Uganda, political tensions have escalated further after recent remarks by General Muhoozi Kainerugaba, the son of President Yoweri Museveni, who threatened political opponents on social media.
People “who do not support Mzee wholeheartedly better be very careful!” Kainerugaba posted on X, referring to his father. “We will deport all the traitors in public view!”
Uganda is set to hold its general elections in January 2026.
