Former Chief Justice David Maraga has criticised Presidents William Ruto and Samia Suluhu Hassan over reported remarks suggesting coordinated action targeting Gen Z in Kenya and Tanzania, describing the alleged comments as “abhorrent”.
Samia, speaking on Monday while hosting Ruto during his state visit, was quoted as saying, “Piga mikwaju, wakija kwangu napiga mikwaju,” in remarks interpreted as a call for joint efforts to “discipline” Gen Zs agitating for good governance across East Africa.
In a statement on Tuesday, Maraga said the remarks, if accurately reported, point to a disturbing approach to dissent that undermines justice and the rule of law in the region.
“As Chief Justice, I cherished the brotherly bonds within our East African Jumuiya and worked closely with my colleagues in the Tanzanian judiciary in the shared pursuit of justice and the rule of law. I am therefore deeply disturbed by the remarks attributed by President Samia during President Ruto’s address to Tanzania’s National Assembly. It is regrettable that the two presidents are reported to have discussed coordinating efforts to ‘chapa mikwajo’ the Gen Z across Kenya and Tanzania. These remarks are abhorrent,” he said.
Maraga linked the controversy to recent events in Tanzania, noting that the comments come shortly after Samia received findings from a commission probing election-related violence.
“They come barely a week after President Samia received the report of the Commission of Inquiry into killings during and after Tanzania’s October 2025 general elections, in which more than 518 people lost their lives, primarily from gunshot wounds. To date, not a single person has been held accountable,” he said.
He further reminded the public of unresolved accountability concerns over recent human rights abuses, even as he raised alarm over the broader state of civil liberties in the region. Calling for public vigilance, the former Chief Justice warned of growing authoritarian tendencies in the region.
“We must also not forget that our compatriot Boniface Mwangi and Agather Atuhaire of Uganda were tortured on Tanzanian soil. The perpetrators remain free,” Maraga said.
“Citizens of East Africa must speak up. The axis of tyranny that Presidents Samia and Ruto are constructing threatens to return our region to autocracy.”
He referenced his past solidarity with opposition figures in Tanzania, adding, “As I demonstrated through my solidarity appearance in Dar-es-Salaam on May 19, 2025, standing with opposition leader Tundu Lissu, our East African Jumuiya cannot advance while leaders suppress dissent and trample on the basic rights of our people.”
The remarks come against the backdrop of Ruto’s first state visit to Tanzania since taking office, where official discussions focused on resolving trade tensions and strengthening bilateral ties.
However, underlying tensions emerged during engagements between the two leaders. While the visit was framed around cooperation, observers noted a shift in tone during Samia’s address, particularly when she raised concerns over regional coordination.
In a brief unscripted moment, she questioned Ruto’s earlier announcement of plans to construct an oil refinery in Tanga without prior consultation.
“While we were speaking inside, I pressed Ruto and asked him: you went ahead and announced a refinery in Tanga – why was I not aware? He will explain, himself, why he made that announcement,” she said.
The refinery proposal had earlier been unveiled by Ruto at a Nairobi summit, where he outlined plans for a regional facility modelled on the Dangote refinery concept, involving multiple East African countries.
Nigerian industrialist Aliko Dangote, who attended the meeting, expressed willingness to support the project.
“My commitment today here is that if we agree with the three or four governments here about the refinery, we will lead and we’ll make sure that refinery is built within the next four or five years,” he said.
The sequence of announcing the project before securing consensus appears to have unsettled Tanzanian officials, with analysts noting that such moves are often viewed as breaches of diplomatic protocol.
Amid the unease, Ruto sought to ease tensions, switching to Swahili to clarify his position.
“Nimeambiwa ya kwamba, tangazo letu kwamba tujenge refinery pale Tanga limewakera kiasi… ningejua ningetangaza hio refinery ijengwe Mombasa,” he said.
He emphasised the economic benefits of the project, adding, “The building of a refinery is a big opportunity for business, a big opportunity for industrialisation.”
