Mudavadi defends Suluhu over deportation of Kenyan lawyers, activists

Prime Cabinet Secretary and Foreign Affairs Cabinet Secretary Musalia Mudavadi has defended Tanzanian President Samia Suluhu’s remarks on the arrest and deportation of Kenyan lawyers and activists who had gone to Dar es Salaam to give support to their opposition leader Tundu Lissu during his trial on Monday.

Speaking during an interview with a local television station, Mudavadi claimed Suluhu’s remarks about Kenyans trying to interfere with their affairs have some truth, as she has been speaking from her observation of Kenyans’ conduct.

He claimed that Kenyans sometimes go overboard and are extreme.

“I will not protest on Suluhu’s remarks because I think there is some truth. Let us face a few facts. The level of etiquette, insults that we see in Kenya, even though we have the freedom of speech, is sometimes going overboard to some extent. She is saying people have sometimes gone to extremes in their utterances in Kenya, which is a fact,” Musalia said.

He stated that Kenyans have lacked integrity and a ‘treatment’ for the cause of all, which needs to be found.

“What we need to talk about is, can we get to the bottom of the treatment there…I am a Kenyan too, and the fact of the matter is that our approach and our utterances, because we are free in speech, have lacked in integrity,” he said.

Mudavadi said he does not agree with curtailing freedom of speech, but noted that President Suluhu’s actions superseded and warranted her to prioritise the defence of her nation’s sovereignty as the head of state, even though the East African Community (EAC) allows freedom of movement within the region.

“The East African Community (EAC) has not taken away the sovereignty of the states; the countries have not ceded their sovereignty to the EAC, so it remains. If there is sovereignty, then a country will make certain decisions. They have taken the decision, so it is the duty through the diplomatic channels to find out what the circumstances .were in detail,” he noted.

On Monday, Suluhu warned Kenyan and other regional activists against destabilising her country. She stated that Tanzania is the only remaining peaceful nation is the region and they should not interfere with them.

“We have started to observe a trend in which activists from within our region are attempting to intrude and interfere in our affairs. If they have been controlled in their country, let them not come to disrupt us. Let us not give them the chance; they have already destabilized their countries, and the only remaining peaceful nation is Tanzania,” She stated.

Her remarks came after the People’s Liberation Party Martha Karua, Gloria Kimani, a council member of the Law Society of Kenya, and Lynn Ngugi, a human rights defender, were detained at the Julius Nyerere Airport before being deported back to Kenya on Sunday.

Karua and the activists had gone to Tanzania at the invitation of the East Africa Law Society.

Former Chief Justice Willy Mutunga, Vocal Africa CEO Hussein Khalid and human rights defender Hanifa Adan was also deported on Monday, while activist Boniface Mwangi is still being detained in the country awaiting deportation.

Former Chief Justice David Maraga, however, made it to court and spoke with Lissu during which he expressed hope he will get a speedy and fair trial.