Prime Cabinet Secretary and Foreign Affairs Cabinet Secretary Musalia Mudavadi has publicly defended Tanzanian President Samia Suluhu’s controversial statements following the arrest and expulsion of Kenyan activists.
Speaking on Citizen TV’s The Explainer Show on Tuesday evening, Mudavadi appeared to endorse Suluhu’s characterization of the activists’ “interference” in Tanzania’s domestic matters, while also criticizing what he described as a recent decline in the “integrity” of Kenyan public discourse.
According to Mudavadi, President Suluhu’s comments likely stem from her observations of the conduct exhibited by some Kenyans lately.
“I will not protest that (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,” he remarked.
When queried on why he sided with Suluhu despite her not specifying the allegations against the activists, Mudavadi found it challenging to explain why his ministry had not engaged with the deported Kenyans.
Mudavadi underscored that he does not endorse restricting freedom of expression, but acknowledged that President Suluhu’s prerogative as a head of state to defend national sovereignty justified her actions, even within the East African Community (EAC) framework that facilitates regional movement.
“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,” he elaborated.
This follows the detention and deportation of People’s Liberation Party (PLP) leader Martha Karua, Law Society of Kenya (LSK) Council member Gloria Kimani, and Pan-African Progressive Leaders Solidarity Network member Lynn Ngugi, who were intercepted at Julius Nyerere International Airport in Dar es Salaam on Sunday.
The three were en route to Tanzania on invitation from the East Africa Law Society. Former Chief Justice Willy Mutunga was also deported, while activist Boniface Mwangi remains in custody pending deportation.
President Suluhu addressed the issue on Monday, firmly stating that foreign activists would not be tolerated to “interfere” in Tanzania’s internal affairs.
