Mudavadi defends Tanzania’s move to deport Kenyan activists

Prime Cabinet Secretary Musalia Mudavadi has defended Tanzanian President Samia Suluhu’s remarks following the arrest and deportation of several Kenyan activists, saying her concerns about interference had some truth.

Appearing on Citizen TV’s The Explainer Show, Mudavadi said Suluhu’s position was likely influenced by her observations of how some Kenyans conduct themselves publicly.

“I will not protest that 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,” he said on Tuesday.

He added that freedom of speech in Kenya has at times been misused.

“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 was also questioned on why his ministry had not responded to the deportation of the activists. He said he needed time to gather more information before commenting on how the individuals were treated.

“She (Suluhu) has said that she is unhappy, because they observe what we do here, but I will need a little time to get more evidence into the detail of the operation, to the point of saying whether we have displayed decency. I am not talking about the individuals in question, but she is talking from a general viewpoint, and if it is a general viewpoint, then I think she has a point.”

He said he does not support suppressing freedom of expression, but recognised that Tanzania had the right to act in defence of its own systems.

“The Jumuiya has not taken away the sovereignty of the states; the countries have not ceded their sovereignty to the EAC, so it still 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.”

His comments come days after several Kenyan activists were detained at Julius Nyerere International Airport and sent back to Kenya.

They include Martha Karua, Gloria Kimani and Lynn Ngugi, who had been invited to Tanzania by the East Africa Law Society. Former Chief Justice Willy Mutunga was also deported, while Boniface Mwangi remains in custody awaiting deportation.

President Suluhu later addressed the incident, warning that foreign activists would not be allowed to interfere with Tanzania’s internal matters.

She said some were attempting to attend the court case of opposition leader Tundu Lissu, who faces treason charges.