TANZANIA .
Former Kenyan Justice Minister and veteran politician Ms Martha Karua and two human rights defenders have been denied entry into neigbouring Tanzania .
On Sunday morning Karua, the leader of Kenya’s People’s Liberation Party , posted on X (formerly Twitter) that she had arrived at Julius Nyerere International Airport in Dar es Salaam at 9:00 AM, only to be held by immigration officials who referred her passport to a supervisor.
After being kept waiting for over an hour, she was informed that her entry had been denied — without any clear explanation.“I am concerned that as a citizen of @jumuiya I am [finding] my access within @jumuiya country inexplicably restricted,” Karua posted, referring to the East African Community (EAC) whose protocol guarantees the free movement of citizens among member states.
Also denied entry were Kenyan lawyers and human rights defenders Lynn Ngugi and Gloria Kimani.According to Karua, the trio was in Tanzania on the invitation of the East Africa Law Society (EALS).
“The common thread that binds us is that we are all guests of @ealawsociety,” Karua stated, tagging EALS President, the Law Society of Kenya (LSK), and Uganda Law Society (ULS) officials.
In a follow-up post, she disclosed that the immigration supervisor had confirmed their entry had been denied without citing any reason.
Legal and civil society groups in the region have begun raising alarm over what they describe as a violation of EAC integration protocols and the rights of legal professionals to participate in cross-border legal events.
By press time ,the East Africa Law Society, which is headquartered in Arusha, Tanzania, was yet to issue an official statement