The Lower Eastern Times Opening The Third Eye
Related Articles
Kenya’s former Chief Justice, Dr. Willy Mutunga, has been detained at Julius Nyerere International Airport in Dar es Salaam, Tanzania.
Click here to join our WhatsApp Channel
His detention occurred just hours after Tanzanian authorities deported Martha Karua, leader of Kenya’s People’s Liberation Party (PLP), along with two other Kenyan nationals.
Human rights activist and Vocal Africa CEO Hussein Khalid confirmed in a statement that he, Mutunga, and fellow activist Hanifa Adan were being held at the airport.
“We, Willy Mutunga, Hanifa Farsafi, and I, have been detained at Julius Nyerere Airport in Dar es Salaam,” Khalid said, explaining that they had traveled to Tanzania to observe the legal proceedings involving opposition figure Tundu Lissu.
Khalid stated that their visit was intended to express solidarity with Tanzanian lawyers and human rights activists. Despite this, the Tanzanian government has yet to explain the reason for their detention.
Khalid also revealed that they were taken to an interrogation room and had their passports confiscated by the authorities.
“They’ve asked us to wait for a senior official—possibly the lead interrogator. We don’t have our passports, and no one has told us why we’re being held,” he said.
Meanwhile, fellow activist Boniface Mwangi, also in Tanzania, reported feeling unsafe at the Serena Hotel in Dar es Salaam. He claimed that unidentified individuals, suspected to be plainclothes police officers, were stationed outside his hotel room.
In a widely shared video on social media, Mwangi said the armed men refused to identify themselves.
“My life is in danger. I’m at Serena Hotel in Dar es Salaam, and there are armed men in civilian clothes outside my room. They claim to be police but won’t show any ID. If they want to get in, they’ll have to break down the door. I won’t open it,” he stated.
Mwangi later reported that the individuals had moved to the hotel’s lobby. He added that he was ready to accompany them once Tanzanian lawyers handling the case arrived.
The detention of Mutunga, Khalid, and Adan followed the deportation of Martha Karua and two other Kenyans on Sunday, May 18, 2025. Karua disclosed that she was denied entry into Tanzania.
According to a statement she released, Karua said she arrived at Julius Nyerere International Airport at 9:00 a.m. and was referred to a supervisor by immigration officials, who kept her waiting for over an hour while seeking guidance from their superiors.
Karua raised concerns about her restricted access to a fellow East African Community (EAC) member state.
“As a citizen of the EAC, I am troubled by what appears to be an unjustified denial of entry into Tanzania,” she said.
Law Society of Kenya President Faith Odhiambo criticized Karua’s deportation, stating:
“Regional cooperation is built on shared values such as democracy, good governance, and the rule of law. It is deeply troubling when these principles are violated—not just domestically, but in the context of international agreements that bind all EAC member states.”
