Former Kenyan justice minister blocked from entering Uganda, lawyers' body says

Martha Karua, a leading Kenyan lawyer and former Justice Minister, has been blocked from entering Uganda and ordered to return home, according to the Uganda Law Society.

Karua had just arrived at Entebbe airport to join a team defending her Ugandan lawyer colleague Erias Lukwago, who is representing detained opposition leader Kizza Besigye. Besigye is on trial for treason after being abducted in Kenya and forcibly returned to Uganda in late 2024.

A statement from Karua's office said she had been detained at the airport and remains incommunicado, with her mobile phones switched off. She was expected to return to Nairobi on Monday but has not been reachable.

Ugandan authorities did not give a reason for blocking Karua, although Kenya's Law Society President Charles Kanjama, who travelled with her, was allowed in. Kanjama expressed concern that one member of the defense team was admitted while another was turned away and called on Ugandan authorities to explain.

Uganda's immigration authorities have not responded to the BBC's request for comment. The BBC has also reached out to the Kenyan government for comment.

Lukwago appeared in court last Wednesday looking weak, denied charges of failing to report treason relating to Besigye's case, and was remanded in prison.

Karua faced several hurdles before she was cleared to represent Besigye, including her initial application to practice as a lawyer in Uganda being rejected. She was also deported from Tanzania last year to prevent her from attending the court case of opposition leader Tundu Lissu, who also faces treason charges.

The Law Society of Kenya on Monday expressed support for “members of the legal profession across East Africa who continue to uphold the cause of justice under often difficult circumstances” and called on relevant authorities to clarify the circumstances of Karua's denial of entry.