Hili ni onyo: Kenyan woman detained in Zanzibar over tour business

This story has significance for readers across Kenya and beyond.

- Zanzibar authorities detained three foreign nationals, including Kenyan businesswoman Esther Mutheu Samuka, over unlicensed tourism operations

- The Zanzibar Commission for Tourism carried out the crackdown alongside the Immigration Department on August 18, 2026

- Zanzibar law reserves tour operations and shuttle boat businesses exclusively for locals under the Tourism Act No. 6 of 2009

Elijah Ntongai is an experienced editor at TUKO.co.ke, with more than four years in financial, business, labour and technology research and reporting. His work provides valuable insights into Kenyan, African, and global trends.

A Kenyan businesswoman is among three foreign nationals arrested in Zanzibar after authorities found them conducting tour and excursion operations in breach of the island's tourism legislation.

The Zanzibar Commission for Tourism (ZCT) confirmed in a public notice dated August 17, 2026, that Esther Mutheu Samuka, Mukembo Emmanuel, and Karungi Scovia were apprehended on August 18, 2026, in a joint operation with the Immigration Department.

What Law Did the Three Violate?

Under the Zanzibar Tourism Act No. 6 of 2009, specifically Section 19(b), tour operation and shuttle boat businesses are reserved exclusively for Zanzibaris.

""Tour operation and shuttle boat businesses are reserved for Zanzibaris," the commission said.

Foreign nationals are barred from running such ventures regardless of whether they have established a physical presence on the island.

The ZCT confirmed the three were found conducting tourism activities in direct contravention of this provision.

The commission stated it "will continue to take appropriate legal and administrative action against anyone found conducting tourism business in contravention of the Zanzibar Tourism Act No. 6 of 2009 and other applicable laws and regulations."

Visitors to the island were also urged to engage only licensed and legally recognised tour operators when booking excursions or related services.

Authorities did not release specific details about the activities each individual was conducting at the time of arrest. However, publicly available information points to connections to businesses within the tourism sector.

Warning to Kenyans Doing Business in Zanzibar

The arrests signal a broader enforcement push in a destination that draws hundreds of thousands of tourists each year to its beaches, Stone Town heritage sites, and marine attractions.

The ZCT's crackdown is part of deliberate efforts to ensure that revenue from tourism, one of Zanzibar's primary economic pillars, remains within the local community.

For Kenyans and other East African nationals with business interests on the island, the arrests serve as a direct warning.

Operating in sectors legally ring-fenced for Zanzibaris exposes foreign nationals to detention and prosecution, irrespective of the scale of their investment. The ZCT urged all residents and visitors to verify the licensing status of tour operators before engaging their services.

Source: TUKO.co.ke

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