{"id":115267,"date":"2025-05-19T16:03:25","date_gmt":"2025-05-19T16:03:25","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/chezaspin.com\/blog\/index.php\/2025\/05\/19\/maraga-campaign-slams-tanzania-for-blocking-kenyan-observers-at-lissu-trial\/"},"modified":"2025-05-19T16:03:25","modified_gmt":"2025-05-19T16:03:25","slug":"maraga-campaign-slams-tanzania-for-blocking-kenyan-observers-at-lissu-trial","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/chezaspin.com\/blog\/maraga-campaign-slams-tanzania-for-blocking-kenyan-observers-at-lissu-trial\/","title":{"rendered":"Maraga campaign slams Tanzania for blocking Kenyan observers at Lissu trial"},"content":{"rendered":"

NAIROBI, Kenya, May 19 \u2014 Former Chief Justice David Maraga\u2019s Presidential Campaign has criticized Tanzanian authorities for detaining and deporting several Kenyan legal and civil society leaders who traveled to Dar es Salaam to observe the trial of opposition leader Tundu Lissu.<\/strong><\/p>\n

In a statement following Maraga\u2019s appearance in court for the trial hearing arising from Lissu\u2019s \u2018No Reforms, No Election\u2019 call, the campaign described the deportations as \u201cdraconian acts\u201d that undermine regional unity and democratic principles.<\/p>\n

\u201cThe shrinking civic and democratic spaces in East Africa should be of concern to all of us,\u201d the campaign cautioned on Monday.<\/p>\n

Maraga\u2019s campaign warned that such actions \u201cerode the fundamental right to a fair and public hearing enshrined in international human rights law.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cWe strongly condemn the draconian acts of detention and deportation against citizens of the East African community who traveled to observe the trial of lawyer, Tundu Lissu,\u201d the Maraga campaign said.<\/p>\n

\u201cThe rapidly increasing trend of abductions, arbitrary arrests, detentions and extra-judicial killings undermines the welfare of our African Jumuiya<\/em>.\u201d<\/p>\n

Maraga, who is eying the presidency in 2027, arrived in Dar es Salaam on Monday morning and made his way to court where Lissu was appearing for trial despite the detention of several Kenyans including his predecessor Willy Mutunga.<\/p>\n

\nMaraga hopes for fair, just and expeditious trial as he meets Lissu in court<\/a>\n<\/div>\n

Tanzanian authorities held Mutunga who had arrived earlier accompanied by human rights activists Hanifa Adan and Hussein Khalid.<\/p>\n

Immigration officials had earlier deported former Constitutional Affairs Minister Martha Karua, lawyer Gloria Kimani, and rights campaigner Lynn Ngugi in what appeared as a coordinated crackdown on Kenyan legal and civil society figures attending the trial.<\/p>\n

Boniface Mwangi, a close ally of Mutunga, reported an attempted intrusion into his hotel room at 1am by unidentified individuals claiming to be \u201cfriends.\u201d<\/p>\n

The Maraga campaign noted it had learnt of similar frustrations from \u201cother friends of democracy from Uganda\u201d.<\/p>\n

While some of the detained individuals have since returned to Kenya, the campaign emphasized that \u201cit is not well in our region,\u201d adding that \u201cthe fight for democratic spaces grows deeper.\u201d<\/p>\n

Maraga\u2019s campaign highlighted the legacy of Tanzania\u2019s founding President Julius Nyerere, praising the country\u2019s historical role in supporting liberation movements and hosting exiled fighters during struggles against colonialism and apartheid.<\/p>\n

The campaign warned the crackdown on Kenyan lawyers could erode Tanzania\u2019s Pan-African image.<\/p>\n

\u201cTanzania has given us exemplary lessons in Pan-Africanism\u2026 This history of institutionalized humanity has given Tanzania the character of Utu<\/em> we all wish to emulate,\u201d Maraga\u2019s campaign noted.<\/p>\n

\u201cSometimes, the teacher forgets they are the master.\u201d<\/p>\n

Solidarity <\/h2>\n

Following his court appearance, Maraga had\u00a0called for a fair, just, and expeditious trial.<\/p>\n

\u201cIt was truly inspiring to see my brother, Tundu Lissu, in high spirits today in court,\u201d Maraga said. <\/p>\n

\u201cAs a fellow member of Jumuiya<\/em> [East African Community], I hold firm in the hope that the legal process ahead will be fair, just, and expeditious \u2014 reflecting the highest standards of integrity, independence, and respect for human dignity.\u201d<\/p>\n

Maraga\u2019s campaign defended solidarity expressed by Kenyan lawyers saying it is protected under Constitutive Act of the African Union and the Treaty Establishing the East African Community.<\/p>\n

\u201cWe must not relent in our solidarity in the pursuit of the rule of law, dignity and the protection of human rights.\u201d<\/p>\n

While Kenya\u2019s Foreign Ministry called for the immediate release of Mutunga and his delegation, Government Spokesperson Isaac Mwaura said Tanzania was within its sovereign rights to deny entry, clarifying that Kenya had no involvement in the deportations.<\/p>\n

\u201cIf the government of one of the member states of the East African Communities decides to deny an individual entry into their country, it has the authority to do so,\u201d Mwaura stated.<\/p>\n

Tanzanian authorities arrested Lissu, the country\u2019s main opposition leader who survived assasination in 2017 after he was shot sixteen times, after accusing him of inciting the public to disrupt a presidential election slated for October 2025.<\/p>","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

NAIROBI, Kenya, May 19 \u2014 Former Chief Justice David Maraga\u2019s Presidential Campaign has criticized Tanzanian authorities for detaining and deporting several Kenyan legal and civil society leaders who traveled to Dar es Salaam to observe the trial of opposition leader Tundu Lissu. In a statement following Maraga\u2019s appearance in court for the trial hearing arising […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":0,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"jetpack_post_was_ever_published":false,"_jetpack_newsletter_access":"","_jetpack_dont_email_post_to_subs":false,"_jetpack_newsletter_tier_id":0,"footnotes":""},"categories":[1],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-115267","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-uncategorized","entry"],"jetpack_sharing_enabled":true,"jetpack_featured_media_url":"","jetpack-related-posts":[],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/chezaspin.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/115267","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/chezaspin.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/chezaspin.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/chezaspin.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=115267"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/chezaspin.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/115267\/revisions"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/chezaspin.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=115267"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/chezaspin.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=115267"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/chezaspin.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=115267"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}