The East Africa Law Society (EALS) has expressed concern over remarks made at a Tanzania–Kenya Business Summit on May 4, 2026, suggesting potential cross-border actions against civic actors.

• The remarks, attributed to Tanzania's President Samia Suluhu Hassan in the presence of Kenya's President William Ruto, could signal coordinated state suppression of civic expression.
• EALS highlights that such activities are constitutionally protected and urges respect for civic freedoms across the East African Community.
• The organization is involved in ongoing East African Court of Justice cases concerning the restriction of civic space in the region.