NAIROBI, KENYA — Martha Karua, leader of the People’s Liberation Party (PLP), has reported being denied entry into Tanzania on Sunday, May 18, 2025.
In a social media announcement made on Sunday morning, Karua stated that she, along with human rights defenders Gloria Kimani and Lynn Ngugi, were detained at the Julius Nyerere International Airport in Tanzania.
“I have been denied entry into Tanzania and I and two colleagues are awaiting deportation at Mwalimu Nyerere International Airport Dar es Salaam,” Karua posted on X (formerly Twitter).
The three were traveling to Tanzania at the invitation of the East Africa Law Society.
Karua indicated that upon her arrival in Tanzania at 9:00 am, an immigration official at the airport referred her passport to a supervisor. This supervisor then kept her waiting for an hour while she “consulted her superiors,” who subsequently denied her entry into the country.
“I am concerned that as a citizen of @jumuiya my access within @jumuiya country appears inexplicably restricted,” Karua added.
The Kenyan Senior Counsel suggests that the denial of her entry is connected to her involvement in the case against Tanzanian opposition leader Tundu Lissu. The Chadema party chairman was charged with treason on April 10, following his arrest at a public rally where he advocated for electoral reforms.
Karua has been leading a pan-African rights lobby group advocating for Lissu’s release and the dismissal of what she describes as politically motivated charges.
Karua, Ngugi, and Kimani were scheduled to observe a hearing related to Lissu’s case, which was set to take place on Monday, May 19, at the Kisutu courts.
