Apology from Kenya’s Leader Eases Tensions with Tanzania

President William Ruto of Kenya has issued a public expression of regret to the Tanzanian government amid rising diplomatic unease between the two nations.

A surge of criticism had emerged on social media, with Tanzanian leader Samia Suluhu Hassan becoming the focus of online attacks following the controversial removal and expulsion of well-known regional activists.

On Monday, Tanzanian legislators voiced their frustration, accusing Kenyan netizens of engaging in cyber aggression and “meddling in domestic affairs”, while asserting their country’s independence.

During a speech at a national prayer breakfast held midweek, President Ruto sought to calm the situation by reaching out to Tanzania.

“To our neighbours from Tanzania, if we have wronged you in any way, forgive us,” he said.

“If there is anything that Kenyans have done that is not right, we want to apologise,” the president added.

Ruto didn’t stop there — he also offered an apology to Kenya’s younger generation, often referred to as Gen-Z, who have been openly voicing discontent with his leadership, particularly after the tragic fallout from tax protests last June.

The Kenyan leader’s message came after an appeal by American preacher Rickey Allen Bolden, who encouraged reconciliation among leaders.

The diplomatic scuffle began after several human rights advocates who had crossed into Tanzania to observe legal proceedings involving opposition figure Tundu Lissu were detained and expelled.

Those affected included Kenyan activist Boniface Mwangi and Uganda’s Agather Atuhaire.

They reported being isolated without communication and subjected to abuse before being dropped at the border by Tanzanian authorities — a situation that drew backlash across East Africa and beyond from human rights organizations.

Although Tanzanian officials have not responded to the abuse allegations, President Samia had previously emphasized that external actors would not be allowed to “meddle” or incite “chaos” within her country’s borders.

Kenyan and Ugandan officials both lodged formal complaints over the activists’ detention, claiming that Tanzanian authorities ignored requests for diplomatic communication.

The incident escalated into a fierce online exchange, with citizens from both countries debating the events and defending their respective national stances.

As discussions intensified, Tanzanian lawmakers reacted sharply to what they perceived as attacks on their president by Kenyan youth on digital platforms.

They defended President Samia’s stance, stating that safeguarding Tanzania’s interests was within her rights.

Their remarks, in turn, drew the ire of some Kenyans, who retaliated by disseminating contact information of the MPs and sending waves of messages to express their dissatisfaction.

Iringa Town representative Jesca Msambatavangu shared that the overwhelming flood of messages — mainly through WhatsApp — led her to temporarily disable her phone.

Despite this, Msambatavangu expressed appreciation for the public discourse and encouraged more productive conversations. She invited Kenyan youths to “counter ideas with ideas”.

She proposed the creation of a WhatsApp group to facilitate deeper discussions and committed to a virtual session on Saturday.

“Kenyans are our neighbours, our brothers, and we cannot ignore each other,” she added.