NAIROBI, Kenya — Nairobi Senator Edwin Sifuna has launched a scathing attack on Prime Cabinet Secretary Musalia Mudavadi after the Foreign Affairs minister appeared to side with Tanzanian authorities over the deportation of Kenyan activists from Dar es Salaam.
Sifuna, writing on X, said it was “wild” for Kenya’s top diplomat to back President Samia Suluhu Hassan following Tanzania’s decision to arrest and deport several Kenyans, including activist Boniface Mwangi, who had travelled to observe a high-profile treason hearing involving Tanzanian opposition leader Tundu Lissu.
“Our Minister for Foreign Affairs taking Tanzania’s side on the deportation of Kenyans is wild. Who put these people in power? Bure kabisa,” Sifuna posted late Tuesday.
Our Minister for Foreign Affairs taking Tanzania’s side on the deportation of Kenyans is wild. Who put these people in power? Bure kabisa.
His reaction followed Mudavadi’s remarks during a televised interview on Citizen TV’s The Explainer Show, where the Foreign Affairs CS defended Suluhu’s stance, saying he found “some truth” in her criticism of foreign activists.
Mudavadi: “She Has a Point”
President Suluhu on Monday publicly warned foreign activists against “invading and interfering” in Tanzania’s domestic affairs, accusing some of “a lack of integrity” and “trying to destabilise” the region’s most peaceful country.
Backing her comments, Mudavadi argued that Tanzanian authorities may be responding to “ongoing observations” about the conduct of some Kenyans.
“I will not protest President Suluhu’s remarks because I believe there is some truth in what she said,” he stated. “The level of etiquette—or lack thereof—and insults we see in Kenya, even under the guise of freedom of speech, sometimes go too far.”
He added that although Kenya prides itself on civil liberties, activists must exercise “restraint” when engaging in matters outside their borders.
However, Mudavadi appeared less certain when pressed about the legal justification for the arrests and deportations, or whether his ministry had sought answers from Tanzanian officials.
“She was speaking from a general perspective… I will need more time to gather evidence and details of the operation,” he said.
Silence on Due Process
Prominent Kenyans—including former Chief Justice Willy Mutunga, politician Martha Karua, and journalist Lynn Ngugi—were reportedly detained or denied entry at Julius Nyerere International Airport and later sent back to Nairobi.
Tanzanian authorities have not provided public explanations for the detentions, sparking criticism from regional advocacy groups who say the incident reflects growing authoritarianism ahead of Tanzania’s elections in October.
Lissu, who survived an assassination attempt in 2017 and finished second in the 2020 presidential election, is facing treason charges over a speech prosecutors claim incited public rebellion.
Regional Tensions
Suluhu’s comments, delivered during the launch of Tanzania’s new foreign policy, have stirred debate across East Africa. She accused activists of exporting unrest from their home countries, saying:
“If they are restrained in their own countries, they should not come here to destabilise us.”
Mudavadi, while insisting he does not support curtailing free speech, argued that Tanzania was within its sovereign rights to protect its internal stability, even as a member of the East African Community (EAC).
“Sovereign nations retain the authority to make certain decisions, and Tanzania has made its decision,” he said. “It is now the responsibility of diplomatic channels to investigate the details and context.”
