In a development that has sent shockwaves through East Africa’s diplomatic and legal corridors, Ugandan immigration and security authorities at Entebbe International Airport on Monday morning denied entry to and subsequently deported prominent Kenyan politician and Senior Counsel Martha Karua.
The high-handed action has drawn fierce condemnation from regional legal fraternities, with the Uganda Law Society (ULS) describing it as a direct assault on the foundational principles of the East African Community (EAC) integration.
Ms. Karua, a former Kenyan Minister of Justice and Constitutional Affairs and the current leader of the People’s Liberation Party (PLP), was intercepted immediately upon arrival aboard a morning Kenya Airways flight.
Speaking to journalists upon her return to Nairobi’s Jomo Kenyatta International Airport (JKIA) on Monday afternoon, Ms. Karua gave a harrowing account of her ordeal, revealing that she was held incommunicado for several hours in a restricted transit area.
“I arrived at Entebbe Airport at 8:50 AM aboard KQ and I was with three others. I only had hand luggage and while waiting for my colleagues, an immigration officer came and told me there was a note on me,” Ms. Karua said.
According to her account, she was taken to the office of the principal immigration officer, where officials informed her she could not enter Uganda.
“By then, two of his juniors had already snatched my phones by force. They did not even ask me. They are very ill-behaved fellows,” she said.
Ms. Karua stated that security officials temporarily confiscated her mobile phones and switched them off to prevent any external communication. She later declined to take the devices back, citing fears that they may have been tampered with.
She added that officials initially sought to place her in a holding cell, but she requested to remain in the transit lounge instead.
“My flight had been scheduled for the night. I asked them to let me go sit at the KQ lounge and wait for the next flight to Kenya because I am a regular customer… He called the KQ manager there and I was taken to the passenger transfers section. Behind me were two airport immigration officers.”
The immigration officers remained with her until she boarded the return flight. Ms Karua revealed that she was only handed a letter declaring her persona non grata while already seated on the aircraft.
According to separate statements released on Monday, June 22, 2026, by the ULS and Ms. Karua’s executive office in Nairobi, the veteran legislator was selectively singled out from a high-profile delegation of Kenyan legal professionals. Other members of the delegation-including the Law Society of Kenya (LSK) President, Charles Kanjama SC, and Advocate John Gicheru-were cleared by immigration officials without incident.
By press time, Uganda’s Ministry of Internal Affairs and the Directorate of Citizenship and Immigration Control had not issued a formal statement clarifying the legal or security grounds for her denial of entry and subsequent deportation.
The Uganda Law Society, through a strongly worded statement signed by its Vice President, Asiimwe Anthony, expressed profound concern over the incident, warning that Kampala’s actions directly undermine the Jumuiya (EAC) spirit.
‘This development is of significant concern to the Uganda Law Society, as it touches upon the core principles of the East African Community-particularly the free movement of persons, labour, and services, as well as the mutual recognition of professional qualifications across member states,’ the ULS statement reads in part.
The lawyers’ body emphasized that Ms. Karua was not entering Uganda merely as a political actor, but as a fully accredited legal professional. She holds a valid Special Practising Certificate issued by the Uganda Law Council under Section 18 of the Advocates Act. The certificate, registered through Lukwago and Co. Advocates, explicitly authorizes her to practice within Uganda and appear in court.
While the ULS noted it would temporarily refrain from open confrontation to allow room for “constructive engagement” with government authorities, it reiterated its unwavering solidarity with regional advocates facing state-sponsored barriers in the line of duty.
Ms. Karua had traveled to Kampala specifically to observe and attend the bail application ruling of Kampala Lord Mayor and prominent human rights lawyer, Hajji Erias Lukwago.
The legal entanglement dates back to November 16, 2024, when veteran Ugandan opposition icon Dr. Kizza Besigye was allegedly abducted from Nairobi during Ms. Karua’s book launch and secretly smuggled into Uganda to face trial before a military court. Since then, Ms. Karua has been actively involved as co-lead counsel in Dr. Besigye’s defense team alongside Mr. Lukwago.
However, the legal defense was thrown into further jeopardy on June 15, 2026, when the Special Forces Command (SFC) conducted an early morning raid on Mr. Lukwago’s residence, arresting him. In a move that drew widespread public scrutiny, Lukwago’s arrest and whereabouts were first made public via a social media post by the Chief of Defence Forces, Gen. Muhoozi Kainerugaba, on his official X account. Lukwago has since been charged with misprision of treason for allegedly concealing knowledge of a plot to overthrow the government.
As news of Karua’s deportation filtered through Kampala, drama was simultaneously unfolding at the Magistrate’s Court, where legal teams had gathered to receive the ruling on Lukwago’s bail application.
Addressing journalists outside the court premises, defense lawyer Medard Lubega Sseggona expressed utter disdain for the state’s tactics, linking Karua’s deportation directly to a pattern of state paranoia.
“What would you expect a coward to do? There are people who have said before that they don’t fear the law. The law is feared. At least I fear the law,” a visibly disgruntled Sseggona said. “I know that the Honorable Martha Karua has not been denied entry but detained at the airport and deported. It is not within the spirit of the East African Community. As a professional, I am deeply concerned that an accused person is entitled to have a lawyer of his or her choice from anywhere. That’s why there is room for accreditation.”
Sseggona further revealed that the highly anticipated bail ruling by Her Worship Chief Magistrate Sarah Basemera had been deferred, citing an unready ruling and security anxieties around the court premises.
“Her Worship has advised that her ruling is not ready. Owing to the sensitivity of the case and the environment as you see it, she was informed that it is not advisable to come back to court to convey the news,” Sseggona explained. “She did not want to gather the crowds that we have. So she undertook to deliver the ruling by email within 24 hours… We have requested our team to go and glue themselves to the computers.”
Beyond the legal bottlenecks, Sseggona raised a red flag regarding Lord Mayor Lukwago’s deteriorating health while in state custody, invoking grim memories of past political detainees who died due to medical neglect.
“Meanwhile, for the Honorable Lukwago, the health situation is not any better; it gets worse day by day,” Sseggona warned. “Because as I have mentioned before, there was a German national who was denied bail in Kalangala and he died. We had the Honorable Muhammad Ssegirinya, who kept telling courts that he was in bad health, and they refused until it was too late. We have put all these materials before court, and we want to trust that court will understand.”