Kenyan arrested in Zanzibar over illegal tour operations

This story has significance for readers across Kenya and beyond.

Three people, including a Kenyan businesswoman, are being detained in Zanzibar for what authorities said is conducting illegal tour and excursion operations.

Esther Mutheu Samuka (a Kenyan national), alongside Mukembo Emmanuel and Karungi Scovia from Uganda, were apprehended on August 18, 2026, by the Zanzibar Commission for Tourism (ZCT) in a joint operation with the Immigration Department.

In a public notice issued by the Zanzibar Commission for Tourism, the Kenyan was apprehended alongside two other foreign nationals for engaging in tourism activities reserved for locals.

“The Zanzibar Commission for Tourism (ZCT) wishes to inform the general public and all visitors to Zanzibar that it has apprehended three foreign nationals who were found conducting tour and excursion operations in Zanzibar contrary to the laws and regulations governing tourism activities in Zanzibar,” the notice stated.

“This action was taken in accordance with the Zanzibar Tourism Act 2009, which provides for the regulation and control of tourism activities in Zanzibar.”

The ZCT and Immigration Department conducted the crackdown, targeting individuals running tour and shuttle boat services without proper licenses.

Zanzibar law restricts such operations to locals under the Tourism Act No. 6 of 2009, which explicitly bars foreign nationals from engaging in these ventures.

Under the Act, tour operators and shuttle boat businesses are reserved for Zanzibaris.

Authorities have put foreign nationals on notice about local licensing and ownership laws, urging all visitors and tourists to book exclusively through legally recognised and licensed tour operators.

The arrests highlight Zanzibar’s efforts to ensure tourism revenue benefits the local community, barring East African nationals referred to as “foreigners” under Zanzibar’s laws, contrary to the East African Community Common Market protocol that calls for free movement and labour for EAC partner states citizens.

Authorities warned Kenyans and other East Africans operating businesses in Zanzibar to comply with local laws to avoid detention.

The ZCT urged visitors to use only licensed tour operators, emphasising the legal risks for foreign nationals involved in restricted sectors.

The commission said it was working with the Immigration Department in taking action against the three foreign nationals.

It is not yet clear whether the trio were arraigned in court and what action has been taken against them.

Reporting originally appeared via Nation Africa. Read the full source for additional context.