Tanzania’s ruling Chama Cha Mapinduzi (CCM) vice chairman Stephen Wasira, has heavily criticised lawyer Martha Karua for alleging that the Tanzanian government orchestrated treason charges against opposition leader Tundu Lissu.
Karua joined a pan-African legal team defending Lissu during his April 24 court appearance at Kisutu Resident Magistrate’s Court in Dar es Salaam.
Lissu, the chairman of the opposition CHADEMA party, was charged on April 10 with treason and disseminating false information after a speech urging electoral reforms under the slogan “No Reforms, No Election.”
Prosecutors cited his remarks about “sabotaging” the 2025 polls as evidence of intent to incite rebellion.
Karua accused Tanzanian authorities of weaponising the Judiciary to suppress dissent, prompting Wasira to condemn her as an “outsider” meddling in Tanzania’s internal affairs.
Wasira asserted Tanzania’s commitment to democratic processes and denied government interference in Lissu’s trial.
He accused Karua of leveraging the case for political clout, citing her history of “political pandemonium” in Kenya under multiple administrations.
"We recognise Martha Karua because she practises law in East Africa, and she is a Kenyan politician. She has her party; she had Narc Kenya, which she saw was not selling, and now she has come up with a new one called PLP. She came to Tanzania, and she has her right as a lawyer to represent whoever has contracted her. Where we have a problem is that; we have the police, the court and Lissu. Karua has a history of political pandemonium. She disturbed the late Daniel Moi, the late Mwai Kibaki, Uhuru Kenyatta and even now," Wasira said.
