Tension flared outside the Tanzanian consulate in Mombasa on Monday as human rights activists staged a protest demanding the immediate and unconditional release of three detained Kenyan nationals, including former Chief Justice Willy Mutunga.
The trio – Mutunga, Hussein Khalid, and Hanifa Adan – are reportedly being held at Julius Nyerere International Airport in Dar es Salaam. Their arrest comes just a day after prominent Lawyer and Opposition Leader Martha Karua, along with two associates, was deported from Tanzania under controversial circumstances.
The detained Kenyans were part of a civil society mission to observe judicial proceedings involving Tanzanian opposition leader Tundu Lissu, raising concerns about regional cooperation and the state of democracy in Tanzania.
Efforts by Muslim for Human Rights (MUHURI) to engage with Tanzanian consular officials in Mombasa were unsuccessful, as officials reportedly refused to open the gates to the delegation. “We were denied access. We call on Tanzania to release the detained Kenyans in the spirit of East African unity,” said MUHURI’s Rapid Response Officer, Francis Auma.
Haki Africa’s Senior Project Manager, Salma Hemed, criticized the Tanzanian government for what she described as a violation of basic human rights. “The arbitrary detention and deportation of observers show blatant disregard for democratic norms,” she said.
Michael Nato, another protester, called on Tanzania to initiate electoral reforms, which he said are essential to addressing the ongoing political unrest between the ruling party and opposition forces.
By Sadik Hassan
