By Martha Karua
As Tanzania approaches its general elections on October 29th, the signs of a system closing in on itself are undeniable. The promise of a “new dawn” under President Samia Suluhu Hassan has given way to a systematic repression targeting both the digital space and the foundations of justice.
My recent experience confirms the depth of this crisis. On May 17th, I traveled to Tanzania as a lawyer, former Justice Minister, and politician to observe the court case of opposition leader Tundu Lissu, a fundamental act of legal solidarity.
Upon arrival, I was detained and deported. My two colleagues, Gloria Kimani and Lynn Ngugi, who were present for the same purpose, suffered the same fate. A government that fears international legal observation is a government that knows its processes cannot withstand scrutiny.
- Mutunga, Karua take Tanzania to court over dramatic denial of entry
- Former CJ Mutunga denied entry to Tanzania ahead of Lissu’s trial
- It is self-defeating for Tanzania to deport Karua, Mutunga
This incident is a telling example of a broader, documented campaign to ensure the ruling CCM party faces no real contest. The opposition is being systematically sidelined, not just on the campaign trail but in the courtroom, where the law is being weaponized to eliminate political choice.
The most glaring contradiction, however, is the ongoing ban on X. A government that silences a global platform of dialogue fears its own people. Yet, it continues to issue statements on the very platform it banned.
The X accounts of President Samia Suluhu Hassan and various government agencies, including the Judiciary and Tanzania Police, remain active. This performance, staged for an international audience while domestic voices are gagged and courtrooms shielded, is a charade that insults the intelligence of all who are watching.
We must not view Tanzania in isolation. Look to Uganda, where the spirit of democracy is suffocating in a prison cell. My friend and comrade, Dr. Kizza Besigye, remains a political prisoner for the crime of opposition. His continued detention is a stain on our collective conscience. In my homeland, Kenya, repression is gaining ground, and the youth are bearing the weight.
East Africa is on the wrong path. We are becoming a region where leaders wield state apparatus not to serve, but to silence; not to build nations, but to build personal kingdoms.
I have always believed that true leadership is demonstrated not by the power to silence, but by the courage to engage. It is built on the conviction that a nation’s strength comes from the free and full participation of all its citizens in politics and in the courts.
My solidarity is with the people of Tanzania, Uganda, and Kenya, who are courageously fighting for their fundamental rights. The world is watching, and so are we, the citizens of the Jumuiya. Let us stand together, see your struggle, and echo your demand for freedom and fairness.
It is time to sound the alarm. If we are not careful, the very foundations of our union will crumble. We must choose, now, to stand for democracy before the darkness of authoritarianism becomes our new normal.
Martha Karua is a Senior Counsel and the party leader of the People’s Liberation Party.
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