Kenyan politician and lawyer Martha Karua was deported from Tanzania on Sunday after being detained at Julius Nyerere International Airport in Dar es Salaam. Karua, leader of the People’s Liberation Party (PLP), had arrived in Tanzania to observe the trial of opposition leader Tundu Lissu, who faces treason charges that could lead to the death penalty. She was accompanied by Law Society of Kenya (LSK) Council member Gloria Kimani and Pan-African Progressive Leaders Solidarity Network member Lynn Ngugi.

Upon arrival, Tanzanian immigration officials detained Karua and her colleagues, citing unspecified security concerns. The trio was held for nearly six hours before being placed on a Kenya Airways flight back to Nairobi. Karua expressed her concerns on social media, stating, “I am concerned that as a citizen of @jumuiya my access within @jumuiya country appears inexplicably restricted.”

The Tanzania Human Rights Defenders Coalition condemned the deportation, labeling it an “arbitrary arrest.” Karua had previously visited Tanzania in April to observe Lissu’s court proceedings without incident. Human rights organizations have expressed growing concern over a crackdown on opposition figures in Tanzania ahead of the October elections

In response to the deportation, the Kenyan government has sought an explanation from Tanzanian authorities. The incident has further strained relations between the two East African nations, with critics accusing Tanzania of suppressing political dissent.

Karua’s deportation highlights the challenges faced by regional leaders advocating for democratic principles and human rights in the face of increasing authoritarianism.