Embakasi East Member of Parliament Babu Owino has penned a demand letter to Tanzanian President Samia Suluhu Hassan.
In the letter dated February 3, the MP recalled how he was denied entry to the East African nation a month ago before asking the President to write back highlighting reasons for his ban. "I am placing this special request to your office to appraise me in writing on the reasons why I am not allowed to enter into Tanzania for business, or as a representative of the people of Kenya, or as a friend of the people of Tanzania and for any other legitimate reasons," part of the statement read.
In his letter, Owino, whose formal name is Paul Ongili, relayed that in December 2024 he was detained at the Julius Nyerere International Airport upon arrival in Tanzania and denied entry.
Tanzanian President Samia Suluhu Photo Samia Suluhu Reportedly, staff at the airport informed him that his name was on the list of persona non grata in Tanzania. "I write to bring to your attention that when I recently visited Tanzania in December 2024 upon arrival at the airport in Dar es Salaam, your immigration officers rejected my passport and casually informed me that I am on the list of persona non grata in Tanzania," Owino wrote. "In total violation of my rights to freedom of movement, they detained me for some time at Julius Nyerere International Airport." This unforeseen outcome led the Kenyan MP to decry the violation of his right not just as an East African Citizen but also as a representative of the Kenyan Parliament which grants him the right of entry to Tanzania. "I am a citizen of the East African Community, specifically Kenya, for that matter.
