Africa-Press – Kenya. Prime Cabinet Secretary and Foreign Affairs Cabinet Secretary Musalia Mudavadi has addressed concerns over the deportation of Kenyans from Tanzania, stating that he cannot fault President Samia Suluhu.In a candid interview on Citizen TV’s The Explainer Show on Tuesday, May 20, 2025, Mudavadi defended President Suluhu’s remarks following the arrest and deportation of Kenyan activists.
Suluhu had asserted that her country would not allow foreign activists to interfere in its internal affairs, criticising what she termed a recent “lack of integrity” in the conduct of some Kenyans.
Mudavadi sided with Suluhu, saying the Tanzanian President may be speaking based on ongoing observations regarding the behaviour of some Kenyans.
“I will not protest President Suluhu’s remarks because I believe there is some truth in what she said,” Mudavadi, Kenya’s top foreign policy official, stated.
He emphasised that while activists in Kenya enjoy a wide latitude to express themselves—sometimes excessively—they must exercise restraint when engaging in matters concerning other countries.
“Let us face some facts. 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. She [Suluhu] is pointing out that people have, on occasion, crossed the line in their public utterances in Kenya, and that is a fact,” Mudavadi said.
“What we need to focus on is understanding the circumstances behind the treatment of the deported individuals. I am a Kenyan too, and the reality is that our approach and utterances, even in our freedom, have sometimes lacked integrity.”
However, during the interview, Mudavadi appeared strained in explaining the exact crimes the Kenyan activists were accused of in Tanzania, or whether he had engaged Tanzanian authorities to address the concerns of the deported Kenyans.
“She [Suluhu] has expressed her displeasure, saying they monitor what we do in Kenya. But I will need more time to gather evidence and details of the operation before making a definitive statement on whether our behaviour has been appropriate. I’m not referring to specific individuals here; she was speaking from a general perspective, and from that standpoint, I think she has a point,” he explained.
According to Mudavadi, President Suluhu was acting in the interest of her country when she insisted that Tanzania would not allow foreign activists to import unrest.
“I do not support the curtailing of free speech,” he clarified, “but I recognise that President Suluhu was within her mandate to prioritise national sovereignty, even though the East African Community (EAC) promotes freedom of movement within the region.”
“The Jumuiya [Community] has not overridden the sovereignty of individual member states. Countries have not ceded their sovereignty to the EAC, so it still stands. Sovereign nations retain the authority to make certain decisions, and Tanzania has made its decision. It is now the responsibility of diplomatic channels to investigate the details and context,” Mudavadi said.
Mudavadi’s comments came as Tanzania deported human rights activist Boniface Mwangi on Tuesday, May 20, 2025, after detaining him for hours following his arrest in Dar es Salaam.
People’s Liberation Party (PLP) leader Martha Karua, Law Society of Kenya (LSK) Council member Gloria Kimani, and Lynn Ngugi of the Pan-African Progressive Leaders Solidarity Network were also detained at Julius Nyerere International Airport on Sunday and later deported to Kenya.
Former Chief Justice Willy Mutunga was among those deported after travelling to Tanzania to observe the treason trial of opposition leader Tundu Lissu.
President Suluhu addressed the issue on Monday, stating that foreign activists would not be allowed to “interfere” in the country’s affairs, following attempts by several to attend Lissu’s court hearing.
“We have begun noticing a trend where activists from the region are trying to intrude and interfere in our internal matters,” Suluhu said during a televised speech at the launch of Tanzania’s new foreign policy.
“If they are restrained in their own countries, they should not come here to destabilise us. Let’s not give them that opportunity. They have already caused instability in their own nations, and Tanzania remains the only peaceful country.”
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