Kenyan politician and People’s Liberation Party (PLP) leader Martha Karua has arrived in Uganda without incident, days after she was controversially denied entry into neighboring Tanzania, an event that has stirred diplomatic friction within the East African Community (EAC).
Karua confirmed her arrival on Tuesday through a social media post, stating: “In Uganda with Lynn Ngugi for Kifefe Kizza-Besigye & Obeid Lutale case, our entry was without a hitch in the spirit of jumuiya (EAC).”
Her visit is in support of Ugandan opposition figures Kifefe Kizza-Besigye and Obeid Lutale, who are currently facing various legal challenges.
While Ugandan authorities have not made an official comment, Karua’s smooth entry has been viewed as a reaffirmation of Uganda’s commitment to regional openness.
The visit follows a diplomatic incident over the weekend, when Karua was denied entry into Tanzania on Sunday, May 18.
The senior Kenyan politician had landed at Julius Nyerere International Airport in Dar es Salaam but was held for over an hour before ultimately being turned away.
“I arrived at Dar es Salaam Mwalimu Julius Nyerere International Airport at nine a.m., and immigration referred my passport to the supervisor who kept me waiting for an hour as she consulted her superiors,” Karua said in a statement.
“I am concerned that as a citizen of the East African Community, my access within an EAC country appears inexplicably restricted.”
The incident came shortly after Karua and other regional leaders, under the Pan-African Progressive Leaders Solidarity Network, called for the release of Tanzanian opposition leader Tundu Lissu, who had been arrested and charged with treason following a political rally in southern Tanzania.
On May 19, Tanzanian President Samia Suluhu Hassan addressed the growing diplomatic tensions, accusing unnamed Kenyan activists of interfering in Tanzania’s internal affairs.
“We’ve started seeing a trend where some activists from our neighboring countries are trying to meddle in our business,” President Suluhu said during a public engagement.
“If they have been contained in their own country, let them not try to come to ruin our peace.”
The Tanzanian government’s stance has raised alarms among rights groups and regional observers, who warn that such moves could undermine the spirit of free movement and political cooperation envisioned by the EAC.
As Karua continues her visit in Uganda, attention remains focused on whether this diplomatic rift will deepen or prompt renewed dialogue among EAC member states on the treatment of political figures and respect for democratic engagement across borders.
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