Tanzanian President Samia Suluhu on Monday said foreign activists would not be allowed to “interfere” in the country’s affairs after several tried to attend the trial of opposition leader Tundu Lissu, who is facing treason charges.
“We have started to observe a trend in which activists from within our region are attempting to intrude and interfere in our affairs,” Suluhu said during the launch of Tanzania’s new foreign policy.
“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 destabilised their countries and the only remaining peaceful nation is Tanzania.”
Her remarks, broadcast live, came hours after Kenyan and Ugandan activists were blocked from observing Lissu’s hearing in Dar es Salaam.
Among those briefly detained at Julius Nyerere International Airport were Kenya’s former Justice Minister and senior counsel Martha Karua and rights activist Boniface Mwangi.
Ugandan journalist and human rights defender Agather Atuhaire was also detained.
All were deported without being allowed to leave the airport transit zone although the Nile Post has failed to make contact with Ms Atuhaire on her known mobile phone number.
Her colleague at Agora, Godwin Toko, said she was yet to be freed.
Lissu, the leader of the opposition Chadema party, is accused of treason over comments made at a recent rally allegedly urging Tanzanians to rise up against the government ahead of the October elections.
His case was adjourned to June 2 after prosecutors said investigations were still ongoing.
The National Electoral Commission disqualified Chadema from participating in the polls last month, citing the party’s failure to sign the electoral code of conduct.
Chadema rejected the decision, saying it was politically motivated and a continuation of what it called “shrinking civic space under Suluhu.”
Speaking after her deportation, Karua condemned what she described as Tanzania’s increasing hostility towards regional solidarity and civic engagement.
“We were there to observe a trial that has implications for democracy across East Africa. Silencing dissent through intimidation, deportation or treason charges does not reflect well on Tanzania,” she posted on X, formerly Twitter.
Boniface Mwangi, who also posted online after his return to Nairobi, said the authorities had subjected them to lengthy interrogations before placing them on the next flight out.
“They wanted to know why we care about Lissu. I told them freedom anywhere matters everywhere,” he wrote.
In Uganda, the arrest and deportation of Agather Atuhaire triggered concern among rights groups and journalists.
Ms Atuhaire, a known advocate for judicial accountability and media freedom, had travelled to Tanzania to observe what she called “a watershed moment in East African politics.”
Her colleagues in Kampala described the move as part of a wider pattern of governments clamping down on transnational activism.
“This is not just about Tanzania,” said a lawyer familiar with Atuhaire’s work. “This is about a regional pushback against voices that question power. And sadly, it is happening with the silent complicity of other East African governments.”
While Suluhu’s remarks were largely directed at her "unwelcome" guests from Kenya and Uganda, analysts say they signal a broader shift in Tanzania’s foreign posture, emphasising national sovereignty over regional openness.
The president warned the country’s defence and security agencies to remain vigilant, urging them not to allow “ill-mannered individuals from other countries to cross the line here.”
Political analyst Mwesiga Baregu said the crackdown was reminiscent of tactics used under former president John Magufuli, despite Suluhu’s initial promise of reform when she came to power in 2021 upon her predecessor's death.
“This is not the soft touch many hoped she would bring,” Baregu told local media. “Tanzania is increasingly returning to a familiar cycle—tight control at home, suspicion of outsiders, and hostility to opposition voices.”
The regional blowback could complicate Tanzania’s diplomatic relations, especially with Nairobi, where Karua remains a respected legal and political figure, and with Uganda, where Atuhaire is regarded as a principled defender of rights.
Despite the tensions, Chadema vowed to keep pressing for political reforms and Lissu’s release.
The opposition leader, who survived an assassination attempt in 2017 and spent years in exile, returned to Tanzania last year pledging to challenge what he called the ruling party’s “entrenched authoritarianism.”
As his trial drags on, international attention is likely to mount—alongside scrutiny of Suluhu’s handling of democracy and regional cooperation. For now, though, the message from Dar es Salaam is clear: outsiders are not welcome.