Embakasi East Member of Parliament Babu Owino wants Tanzanian President Samia Suluhu barred from entering Kenya for any reason as fallout over the detention of three Kenyan lawyers at the Julius Nyerere International Airport in Dar es Salaam continues.
According to Babu Owino, Kenya should return the favour and stop the Head of State from entering Kenya after her government detained and deported Senior Counsel Martha Karua and two other lawyers on Sunday.
In a statement on Sunday, March 18, the vocal MP, who is a fierce critic of the Kenya Kwanza government, faulted Tanzania for what he termed the mistreatment of Kenyans visiting the country.
Karua claimed immigration officials had confiscated her passport and held her at the airport without explanation.
"It’s very worrying to mistreat Kenyans when they come to Tanzania. Detaining at Julius Nyerere International Airport is demeaning, unnecessary and amounts to a violation of rights," Babu Owino said.
The MP proceeded to warn the Tanzanian Head of State against visiting Kenya, saying that because of the treatment Karua was subjected to at the Julius Nyerere International Airport.
He added, "Don’t ever come to Kenya if you can’t behave. We will not entertain such conduct unbecoming of a Leader."
Karua, who is in the company of two other activists, was reportedly in Tanzania as part of a delegation invited by the East Africa Law Society (EALS). Their visit came ahead of a crucial court session expected to deliberate on the case of former Tanzanian opposition leader Tundu Lissu.
Since Karua announced her detention at the airport, several stakeholders have come forward to condemn her woes, including the Law Society of Kenya (LSK), who made a demand to the Kenyan government to write to their counterparts in Tanzania seeking clarification on why members of the council faced potential deportation.
Activist Boniface Mwangi also condemned the Tanzania government, accusing President Suluhu, accusing the head of state of unfair restrictions, just months to Tanzania's general elections.
Former president of LSK Nelson Havi also condemned the incident, questioning the purpose of the EAC and urging President William Ruto to take up the matter with Tanzanian counterpart Samia Suluhu.
Further, Havi urged the government to expel the Tanzanian Ambassador to Kenya, should the necessary steps to correct the anomaly not be addressed.
"What is the purpose of the East African Community if Martha Karua is denied entry into Tanzania to practise law and is instead deported? This is a matter that President William Ruto ought to take up with President Samia Suluhu, and if unresolved, expel the Tanzanian ambassador," Havi stated.
