Foreign Affairs Principal Secretary Arap Sing’Oei has urged the Tanzanian government to immediately release former Chief Justice Willy Mutunga and his delegation, who are reportedly detained under unclear circumstances.
Mutunga and his team — comprising Vocal Africa CEO Khussein Khalid and human rights advocate Hanifa Adan — were in Tanzania on a mission to advocate for the release of opposition leader Tundu Lissu, who is currently facing treason charges.
Mutunga, Hanifa and Khalid were detained at the Julius Nyerere International Airport from 3am on Sunday night, as they sought entry into the East African neighbour.
By 7am on Monday, the three remained in custody of the Tanzanian authorities, who are yet to issue any statements on the matter.
Sing’Oei emphasized that the detention of the Kenyan delegation contravenes the foundational principles of the East African Community (EAC), which promote free movement, mutual respect, and cooperation among member states.
“We strongly urge the authorities in Tanzania to release the former Chief Justice of Kenya and his delegation, in line with the norms and commitments of the East African Community,” stated Sing’Oei.
During the detention of the three, their passports were confiscated, and they were still waiting for any clear information on the next step at the time of publishing.
At around 3am, Hanifa took to social media to decry their detention, revealing that she and her colleagues had travelled to Tanzania in solidarity with opposition leader Tundu Lissu, who is scheduled to appear in court later in the day on treason charges.
“Hello, guys. We’ve been detained at Julius Nyerere International Airport, and we’re not being told why. This is utterly ridiculous and petty. It’s 3am and it’s cold here, damn. I’m here with Willy Mutunga and Hussein Khalid. We all travelled in solidarity with Tundu Lissu, who has a mention in court today,” she posted.
On Sunday, Senior Counsel and former Justice Minister Martha Karua was deported from Tanzania to Kenya after being denied entry into the neighbouring country, alongside fellow human rights defenders and lawyers Lynn Ngugi and Gloria Kimani.
The vocal opposition member claimed that her passport had been taken and referred to a supervisor at the Julius Nyerere International Airport, and she had been held for over an hour.
Speaking after the ordeal, Karua alleged that Kenya, through its Foreign Affairs PS, was trying to put up a show as they did little to address the situation.
"I was called by the Kenyan Ambassador to Tanzania, who told me he was trying his best to address the situation; however, I was not convinced. Officials of the East African Law Society tried to get in touch with the Kenyan PS for Foreign Affairs, and he was unavailable," Karua claimed.
