President William Ruto has apologised to the government and people of Tanzania after the country’s legislature’s remarks concerning the deportation of high-profile leaders and activists led to an online uproar between the two countries.
Speaking during the annual National Prayer Breakfast held in Nairobi on Wednesday, May 28, 2025, Ruto stated that Kenya wants to build a relationship with its neighbours that moves the country forward.
“Our neighbours from Tanzania, if we have wronged you in any way, forgive us. Our friends from Uganda, if there’s anything that Kenyans have done that’s not right, we want to apologise. To our children, if there’s any misstep, we apologise,” he stated.
Tanzanian parliament
The lawmakers in the Tanzanian parliament on May 26, 2025, made comments regarding the controversial deportation of East African lawyers and activists who travelled to Dar es Salaam for opposition leader Tundu Lissu’s treason trial.
For instance, Tanzanian Member of Parliament (MP) Jesca Msambatavangu slammed the Kenyan Generation Z youths, accusing them of insulting people on social media platforms.
Speaking during the 19th parliamentary session, Msambatavangu stated that Tanzania has taught its young people patriotism and bravery passed on from their forefathers.
“I saw some Kenyans claiming that Tanzanian Gen Zs are lazy and silent. I want to tell them our Gen Zs have learnt from their fathers. We’ve taught them patriotism, bravery and how to make money, not instigating people on social media,” she stated.
Furthermore, she stated that the Tanzanian young population will not unite to bring instability to their own country, as they have been taught to value peace and calmness.
“Our youth will not unite with useless things because peace brings rights. Our children are calm and have hope because they were brought up in peace and righteousness,” she said.
“We have rights in Tanzania. The challenges we are facing as a country are normal occurrences that even families face,”
Detention
Former Chief Justice (CJ) Willy Mutunga, alongside activists Hanifa Adan and Hussein Khalid, was detained in Tanzania on May 19, 2025.
In a statement on X, activist Adan revealed that they had been held and left stranded at the Julius Nyerere International Airport in Dar es Salaam.
“We’ve been held at Julius Nyerere International Airport since 2 a.m. The terminals are deserted, the floors are cold, and we’re hungry. Everyone seems to have gone to sleep, leaving us stranded. I’m genuinely asking, what is President Samia so afraid of? This situation is utterly absurd,” she lamented.
On the other hand, her counterpart, Hussein Khalid, revealed on X that they didn’t have their passports and were being held in an interrogation room.
“Following our detention, we’ve been brought to the interrogation room. They’ve told us to wait here for their senior officer – I guess the chief interrogator! We still don’t have our passports, nor do we know why we’re being detained,” he stated
This came hours after the People’s Liberation Party (PLP) leader Martha Karua, alongside human rights defenders and lawyers Gloria Kimani and Lynn Ngugi, was detained at the Julius Nyerere International Airport in Tanzania on May 18, 2025.
