Former Kenyan Justice Minister Blocked From Entering Uganda
Last update: June 22, 2026
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Two lawyers, one case, same flight, but only one made it past immigration.
It was supposed to be a routine trip for a high-profile court case, but things took a sharp turn at Entebbe airport.
Leading Kenyan lawyer and former Justice Minister Martha Karua has been denied entry into Uganda and ordered to return home, according to the Uganda Law Society.
Karua had just touched down at Entebbe, ready to join the defence team for her Ugandan colleague Erias Lukwago. The two have been working together to represent detained opposition leader Kizza Besigye, who is currently on trial for treason.
In a twist, Lukwago himself was charged with a treason-related offence last week. His bail hearing had been set for Monday. He appeared in court last Wednesday looking frail, days after being arrested at his home. He denied charges of failing to report treason in connection with Besigye’s case and was remanded in prison, cbinews.tv reports.
Ugandan authorities gave no reason for blocking Karua. Yet Kenya’s Law Society President Charles Kanjama, who travelled with her, was allowed in.
Kanjama called the move “of particular concern”, pointing out that Karua was travelling “for the same matter and in the same professional capacity” as he was.
“It is difficult to understand why one member of a defence team should be admitted while another is turned away,” he posted on X, urging Ugandan authorities to explain.
Besigye has been jailed on treason charges since he was abducted in Kenya and forcibly returned to Uganda in late 2024. The abduction of Besigye and his aide Obeid Lutale has fuelled regional debate over legal jurisdiction and human rights.
This isn’t Karua’s first brush with regional travel blocks. She faced several hurdles before she was eventually cleared to represent Besigye. Her initial application to practise as a lawyer in Uganda was rejected. She was also deported from Tanzania last year to stop her from attending the court case of opposition leader Tundu Lissu, who also faces treason charges.
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