Tanzania blocks Kenyan officials from attending Lissu’s treason trial

Tanzanian authorities deported Martha Karua, Kenya’s former Justice Minister, upon her arrival in Dar es Salaam, preventing her from observing the high-profile treason case against opposition leader Tundu Lissu. Two Kenyan lawyers traveling with her were also detained and expelled, sources confirmed.

The move came as former Kenyan Chief Justice Willy Mutunga and other regional rights activists attempting to attend Monday’s court hearing were similarly intercepted at Julius Nyerere International Airport. Officials have not provided explanations for the deportations.

Lissu, head of Tanzania’s CHADEMA party, faces treason charges—a case critics allege is politically motivated.

The outspoken government critic survived an assassination attempt in 2017 and returned from exile last year.

The incident escalates tensions in East Africa over judicial independence, with Kenyan legal figures condemning Tanzania’s actions as an affront to regional solidarity.

Observers note the deportations mirror growing restrictions on opposition figures and foreign monitors under President Samia Suluhu Hassan’s administration.

Neither Tanzanian immigration nor the Attorney General’s office responded to requests for comment. The blocked delegation had planned to file an amicus brief supporting Lissu’s defense.