Senior Counsel and former Kenyan Justice Minister Martha Karua has broken her silence after being forcefully deported from Uganda, giving a detailed account of the harrowing experience she went through at Entebbe International Airport.
Karua had travelled to Uganda together with Law Society of Kenya President Charles Kanjama to attend court proceedings for Kampala Lord Mayor Erias Lukwago, her co-counsel in the ongoing treason trial of Ugandan opposition leader Dr Kizza Besigye. Lukwago was arrested at his home just days earlier and charged with a treason-related offence, then remanded to Luzira Prison.
Upon arrival at Entebbe, Karua was singled out from the delegation and held incommunicado for several hours. Immigration officials confiscated her mobile phones by force and switched them off to prevent her from communicating with the outside world. While Kanjama and other members of the delegation were cleared to enter, Karua was told she would not be allowed into the country and was put on a return flight to Nairobi.
The incident unfolded just minutes before the Makindye Chief Magistrate's Court was set to deliver a ruling on Lukwago's bail application. Uganda's immigration authorities later issued a notice stating that Karua had been declared persona non grata and was therefore a "prohibited immigrant". However, no further explanation was provided.
Speaking after arriving back at Jomo Kenyatta International Airport, Karua accused Ugandan authorities of political persecution and interfering with Besigye's legal defence. "This is political persecution of Besigye, and it is interference with his defence because the hearing of his case was even supposed to start last week," she said.
The Law Society of Kenya has demanded answers, with President Charles Kanjama questioning why he was allowed in while his colleague was turned away despite both travelling for the same matter and in the same professional capacity. The Uganda Law Society also condemned the action, describing it as a direct blow to the spirit of East African Community integration, particularly the principles of free movement of persons and mutual recognition of professional qualifications across member states.
Karua has faced multiple hurdles while representing opposition figures in the region. Her initial application to practise as a lawyer in Uganda was rejected before she was eventually cleared to represent Besigye. Last year, she was also deported from Tanzania while travelling to observe court proceedings for opposition leader Tundu Lissu, who also faces treason charges.
In her statement following the ordeal, Karua expressed deep gratitude for the overwhelming solidarity shown by individuals, professional bodies and civil society organisations across East Africa and beyond. She emphasised that the right to legal representation and a fair hearing are not privileges reserved for a few, but safeguards for all. "Erias Lukwago still deserves justice. Dr Kizza Besigye and Hajji Obeid Lutale still deserve justice," she said.
Besigye and his aide Lutale have been jailed on treason charges since they were abducted from Nairobi in November 2024 and forcibly returned to Uganda. Their case has sparked intense regional debate over legal jurisdiction and human rights. The struggle for justice, democratic freedoms and human dignity continues, Karua said, but so too does their resolve.
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