By Samuel Ouma
Kenya’s outspoken Member of Parliament, Millie Odhiambo, has called out Tanzanian President Samia Suluhu Hassan over the recent denial of entry to Kenyan lawyer and politician Martha Karua and other human rights defenders into Tanzania.
In a strongly worded statement released Monday, Odhiambo, a known advocate for women’s rights and leadership, expressed disappointment in Suluhu’s administration, accusing it of employing “the tried and tired masculine approach to leadership that is oppressive.”
“I was privileged and honored to meet President Suluhu Hassan of Tanzania,” Odhiambo began, recalling a personal interaction she had with the Tanzanian leader.
“As a women’s rights champion and specifically a champion of women in leadership, her rise to the presidency was indeed a feather in our cap.”
Odhiambo also praised the rise of another Tanzanian female leader, Speaker of Parliament Hon. Tulia Ackson, who is also the President of the Inter-Parliamentary Union (IPU), stating, “Both of you have made us proud as a continent. You have achieved what has eluded superpowers like the US.”
However, she did not mince her words when addressing what she termed as authoritarian tendencies.
“It does not cost anything for people, especially human rights lawyers and activists, to stand with your opponent while he is undergoing trial. It however costs you a bad image when you pick the tried and tired masculine approach to leadership that is oppressive,” she said.
Her comments come days after Martha Karua and fellow members of the Katiba Institute and other regional civil society organizations were denied entry into Tanzania, where they had intended to observe and support legal proceedings involving opposition politician Tundu Lissu.
Odhiambo stressed that leadership requires empathy and strength, not suppression.
“The nurturing and caring roles have been seen as a weakness, but are indeed strengths. Let Tundu Lissu get his supporters. You have your own. Use the natural nurturing and caring roles to hold one to account but without bending rules.”
In an emotional conclusion, she offered support to President Suluhu while urging a change in approach: “I am not giving up on you. You carry a torch beyond Tanzania. You are me. I am you. We are women. Let’s do different.”
The incident has sparked regional concern, especially among civil society and women leaders, who had seen Suluhu’s presidency as a new dawn for inclusive and democratic governance in East Africa.
