Former Kenyan Justice Minister Martha Karua was denied entry to Uganda upon arrival at Entebbe Airport, prompting the Uganda Law Society to call the action “unlawful and politically motivated”.
Karua, who had travelled with Kenyan law society president Charles Kanjama to support her colleague Erias Lukwago in the case of opposition leader Kizza Besigye, was ordered to return to Nairobi. Lukwago, charged with a treason‑related offence, was set for a bail hearing on Monday amid heightened scrutiny.
Karua said, in Nairobi, that as an East African Community citizen she should have the right to enter another member state. She also claimed she had been told she was “persona non grata” in Uganda.
Uganda’s immigration authorities have given no explanation for the denial, while Kanjama posted on X, demanding clarity: “It is difficult to understand why one member of a defence team should be admitted while another is turned away.”
Other legal bodies, including the Kenyan Law Society, have called for transparency over the incident, stressing the importance of cross‑border legal practice during high‑profile treason cases. The block comes amid regional debate over jurisdiction and human rights following Besigye’s abduction and forced return to Uganda.
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