Tanzanian opposition leader blocked from entering Kenya
Lema revealed that he had been flagged on a government-issued "stop list," which barred his exit.
Tanzanian opposition figure Godbless Lema, a senior member of the Chadema party, was on Friday stopped from leaving the country as he attempted to cross into Kenya through the Namanga border.
Lema revealed that he had been flagged on a government-issued "stop list," which barred his exit.
The politician, who was previously forced into exile in 2020, said he was held at the border for more than four hours while trying to travel to Nairobi for medical treatment.
He was later ordered to return to Arusha, and his passport was confiscated by authorities.
In a statement posted on X, Lema claimed the incident was part of a wider crackdown on opposition voices by President Samia Suluhu’s administration, as the country heads toward the October general election.
"After waiting for more than four hours, I have officially been denied entry into Kenya. My passport has been confiscated, and I am now expected to return to Arusha... I hope this persecution ends with our generation and is not passed on to our children," Lema wrote in a post on X.
His remarks come amid growing concerns over Tanzania’s handling of dissent, following recent reports that Kenyan activists who had travelled to the country were arrested, tortured, and deported by authorities.
