Tanzania’s President Suluhu Defends Her Decision Of Deporting Kenyans

Tanzanian President Samia Suluhu Hassan has publicly addressed the recent detention and subsequent deportation of several high-profile Kenyan citizens from Tanzania, including Martha Karua, which occurred on Sunday and Monday, May 18 and 19, 2025. Her remarks came amidst a diplomatic stir and heightened tensions between the East African neighbors.

Speaking at a public forum on Monday, May 19, a resolute President Suluhu criticized Kenyan activists, accusing them of attempting to destabilize the peace and internal affairs of Tanzania. She took a pointed swipe at Kenya’s political landscape, suggesting that some activists who have been unable to effect change in their own country are now seeking to interfere in Tanzania’s sovereign matters.

“We’ve started seeing a trend where some activists from our neighboring countries are trying to meddle in our business,” Suluhu asserted. “If they have been contained in their own country, let them not try to come to ruin our peace.”

President Suluhu, who made history as Tanzania’s first female president after being sworn in on March 19, 2021, emphasized Tanzania’s strong political stability, claiming it to be one of the few countries in the East African region enjoying such a high degree of peace. She issued a stern warning that any attempts to disrupt this peace, whether by locals or foreigners, would not be tolerated.

Her strong statements coincided with the detention and deportation of another group of Kenyans, including former Chief Justice Willy Mutunga, activist journalist Hanifa Adan, and VOCAL Africa CEO Hussein Khalid. These individuals were reportedly detained on Monday morning as they attempted to enter Tanzania to express solidarity with the detained opposition leader, Tundu Lissu. Like Martha Karua and other activists on Sunday, they were deported back to Kenya hours after their passports were confiscated at Julius Nyerere International Airport in Dar es Salaam.

Tundu Lissu, a prominent politician, anti-graft activist, and former Member of Parliament for the Singida East constituency, has recently garnered significant attention, particularly from Kenya. His ongoing court appearance on treason charges, for which he is expected to remain in custody until June 2025, has drawn concern from various quarters. As the current chairman of CHADEMA, Tanzania’s leading opposition political party, Lissu has garnered sympathy from some Kenyan leaders and activists, many of whom are vocal critics of the Kenya Kwanza government, including People’s Liberation Party leader Martha Karua.

Lissu’s detention has fueled criticism against President Suluhu, with activists from both Tanzania and Kenya accusing her administration of suppressing dissent and narrowing the civic and democratic space. However, in her rejoinder, Suluhu maintained that her actions were solely aimed at maintaining order and peace within Tanzania’s borders.

“I’ve seen some clips of people saying I am biased. All I am doing is protecting my country, as that is my mandate as president. That said, we will not allow anyone to come and disrupt the peace, whether a local or a foreigner,” she reiterated.

Among the prominent figures who have publicly criticized the Tanzanian president’s stance is former Chief Justice David Maraga of Kenya, who described the unfolding situation as a concerning shrinking of “civic and democratic space in East Africa.”