Foreign Affairs Principal Secretary Korir Sing’Oei has appealed to the Tanzanian government to release former Kenyan Chief Justice Willy Mutunga and activists Hanifa Adan and Hussein Khalid, who were detained at Julius Nyerere International Airport in Dar es Salaam. Sing’Oei cited the East African Community (EAC) treaty, urging Tanzanian authorities to uphold regional norms and release the trio immediately.
The activists, who were traveling in solidarity with Tanzanian opposition leader Tundu Lissu, said they were held without explanation and left in uncomfortable conditions since 2am. Hanifa described the situation on social media, expressing frustration over being detained without reason. Khalid added that their visit was meant to support Tanzanian lawyers and human rights defenders.
This incident follows a similar one involving Martha Karua, who, along with lawyers Lynn Ngugi and Gloria Kimani, was detained and later deported from the same airport. Karua raised concerns about movement restrictions within the EAC and linked the detentions to interest in Lissu’s politically sensitive treason case.
