NAIROBI, Kenya- Kenya, once celebrated as a diplomatic powerhouse in East Africa, has been reduced to a shadow of its former self.
Our country, which has historically played the role of a regional stabilizer, now watches in silence—or worse, quiet approval—as its citizens are mistreated beyond its borders.
The arrest, detention, and deportation of Kenyan human rights defenders by Tanzanian authorities is not just a diplomatic low—it’s a national humiliation.
That Boniface Mwangi, a prominent activist known globally for his courageous advocacy, could be arrested without charge, detained, and then dumped like contraband across the Kenyan border in Ukunda, should have provoked an immediate and firm diplomatic response.
Instead, what we saw was appalling.
Musalia Mudavadi, our Prime Cabinet Secretary and Cabinet Secretary for Foreign and Diaspora Affairs, has been nearly jubilant while reminding Kenyans how ‘dipomatic’ our leaders are.
It is disgraceful for a man entrusted with defending Kenya’s honor abroad to appear in celebratory spirits, even as our citizens were being treated like criminals.
We should not expect too much from some of our legislators—Oscar Sudi and Samson Cherargei, for instance—who were also part of this shameful display.
Their record in public engagement has often leaned more toward populist theatrics than serious statesmanship. But Mudavadi?
He is largely seen as a steady, sober face of reason in Kenya’s political landscape.
Even more bewildering is the fact that individuals like former Chief Justice Willy Mutunga, seasoned opposition leader Martha Karua, and other respected Kenyans were denied entry or deported from Tanzania without a whisper of protest from our government.
These are not fringe activists—they are among Kenya’s most decorated and respected voices in the fight for democracy, human rights, and justice.
That they could be humiliated without sparking a diplomatic crisis reveals the current Kenyan administration’s shocking lack of backbone on issues of principle.
We are in a dark place.
This is no longer just about Tanzania’s conduct. It’s about Kenya’s failure to stand up for its citizens, and worse—its leaders aiding and abetting the abuse through silence and spectacle.
We must ask ourselves, how did we get here?
The answer lies partly in our growing culture of political sycophancy and moral cowardice.
When those in power are more concerned with maintaining regional “friendships” than protecting their own citizens, then the soul of the nation is in danger.
Regional integration should never come at the cost of sovereignty, dignity, and justice for Kenyans.
