Kenya demands ex-CJ Mutunga’s immediate release as Tanzania detains delegation ahead of Lissu trial
Nairobi's latest appeal signals a growing unease within the region over Dar es Salaam's handling of political dissent and its response to regional scrutiny.
Kenya's Ministry of Foreign and Diaspora Affairs has called on Tanzanian authorities to immediately release former Chief Justice Willy Mutunga and his delegation, who were detained in Dar es Salaam ahead of the high-profile treason trial of Tanzanian opposition figure Tundu Lissu.
In a statement posted on X, Foreign Affairs Principal Secretary Korir Sing'Oei urged the Tanzanian government to act in line with the principles of regional cooperation.
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"We strongly urge the authorities in Tanzania to release the former Chief Justice of Kenya and his delegation consistent with the norms of the East African Community," Sing'Oei stated, reiterating a similar appeal he made a day earlier following the detention and deportation of Kenyan opposition figure Martha Karua and officials from the Law Society of Kenya.
Tanzania has in recent days detained and deported several Kenyan nationals who had travelled to the country to observe Lissu's court proceedings.
Lissu, a prominent member of the opposition CHADEMA party, is scheduled to appear in court on Monday on treason charges that carry a possible death sentence.
His party has already been disqualified from participating in the upcoming presidential and legislative elections due in October.
The move has sparked concern among human rights groups and regional observers, who see the clampdown on foreign observers as a troubling signal of shrinking civic space and political intolerance ahead of Tanzania's elections.
Tanzania has long demonstrated a deep sensitivity to what it regards as external interference, especially from neighbouring Kenya, whose civil society and political actors have historically maintained close ties with Tanzanian opposition figures.
Nairobi's latest appeal signals a growing unease within the region over Dar es Salaam's handling of political dissent and its response to regional scrutiny.
Whether the East African Community will intervene or maintain its tradition of quiet diplomacy remains to be seen.
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