Babu Owino slams Tanzania over Martha Karua’s detention
Embakasi East Member of Parliament (MP) Paul Ongili, widely known as Babu Owino, has publicly condemned the reported detention of People’s Liberation Party (PLP) party leader Martha Karua and two other Kenyans at Julius Nyerere International Airport in Dar es Salaam, Tanzania.
Karua on Sunday, May 18, 2025, revealed that she had arrived at Julius Nyerere International Airport in Dar es Salaam, but the Tanzanian immigration refused to clear her, together with lawyer and human rights activist Gloria Kimani and Lynn Ngugi.
In a statement on his official social media channels, Owino criticised the Tanzanian authorities’ treatment of Karua and her counterparts, describing it as demeaning, unnecessary, and a violation of rights.
He emphasised the importance of mutual respect and adherence to regional agreements, warning that such conduct should not be tolerated.
“@SuluhuSamia It is very worrying to mistreat Kenyans when they come to Tanzania. Detaining @MarthaKarua at Julius Nyerere International Airport is demeaning, unnecessary and amounts to a violation of rights,” Babu Owino condemned.
Detained
Babu Owino’s sentiments come hours after Karua disclosed that they were detained at the airport awaiting deportation after being denied entry.
“I arrived at Dar es Salaam Mwalimu Julius Nyerere International Airport at nine am, and immigration referred my passport to the supervisor, who has kept me waiting for an hour as she consulted her superiors. I am concerned that as a citizen of @jumuiya, my access within @jumuiya country appears inexplicably restricted,” Karua stated.
She went ahead to state that apart from her, lawyer and human rights activist Gloria Kimani and Lynn Ngugi had also been detained at the airport, adding that they were all guests of the East Africa Law Society (EALS).
“Apart from me, @gloria_kimani and @ngugi_lynn are also detained. The common thread that binds us is that we are all guests of @ealawsociety,” she added.
Tundu Lissu case
Although the reason for their detention was not revealed to them, Karua claimed that the move by Tanzania to deny them entry is due to the fear that they might be interested in the case against Tundu Lissu.
The case against Lissu, who has been in detention for weeks now, will be heard on Monday, May 19, 2025.
Human rights activists in Kenya and Tanzania have called out President Samia Suluhu over the incident, which they say violates human rights.
Karua became at odds with the Tanzanian government after she attended Tundu Lissu’s court case.
