Faith Odhiambo seeks Kenya’s intervention after Karua is detained in Tanzania
Law Society of Kenya (LSK) President Faith Odhiambo has sought Kenya’s intervention after People’s Liberation Party (PLP) party leader Martha Karua was detained and blocked from entering 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.
Taking to her official X account, Odhiambo condemned the incident and called on Principal Secretary for Foreign Affairs Korir Sing’oei to intervene in the situation with urgency.
She also expressed concerns that Kenyans could be detained for merely being lawyers when they should be enjoying free movement of persons within the East African region.
“This is quite unfortunate that though we should be enjoying free movement of persons within the East African region, Kenyans can be detained for merely being lawyers. I hope @SingoeiAKorir can urgently intervene,” Odhiambo wrote on X.
Karua deported
Karua says that together with her colleagues, they had retrieved their bags at the airport and that they were awaiting deportation.
She had earlier expressed concerns that as an East African Community citizen, her access to the region’s countries appeared to have been inexplicably restricted.
“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 consults her superiors. I am concerned that as a citizen of @jumuiya, my access within @jumuiya country appears inexplicably restricted,” Karua stated.
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.
Karua-Tanzania spat
In April 2025, Karua fired back at Tanzanian Vice Chairman of Chama Cha Mapinduzi (CCM), Stephen Wasira, for failing to address the ongoing violation of the constitution in Tanzania.
In a statement on April 26, 2025, Karua called out Wasira, stating that what was most disappointing in his remarks was his silence on the violent crackdown against opposition leaders and Tanzanian citizens.
“Thank you for the response, but what is disappointing is that Mr Wasira did not mention anything about the violation of the constitution and the police in Kisutu court, who are preventing and violently attacking citizens and leaders, killing, breaking bones, and injuring people,” she said.
Responding to her remarks in Dodoma on April 25, 2025, Wasira said Tanzania does not destabilise the peace of East Africa and handles its affairs peacefully.
Karua had criticised the Tanzanian government and CCM for detaining Tundu Lissu, leader of the opposition party CHADEMA, stating that the government’s actions aimed to weaken the opposition.
