KAMPALA. Senior Counsel Martha Karua has returned to Nairobi after Ugandan immigration officials denied her entry at Entebbe International Airport and declared her persona non grata.
The former Kenya minister of Justice and Constitutional Affairs said immigration officers confiscated her phones, held her under watch and later placed her on a Kenya Airways flight back to Nairobi on Monday, June 22, 2026.
Ms Karua linked the incident to her legal work in politically sensitive cases involving veteran opposition figure Dr Kizza Besigye and Kampala lawyer Erias Lukwago.
The incident has triggered strong condemnation from legal bodies in Uganda, Kenya and the wider region.
Karua Says She Was Initially Cleared
Ms Karua said she arrived at Entebbe at about 8.50am aboard a Kenya Airways flight.
She was travelling with three others, including Law Society of Kenya President Senior Counsel Charles Kanjama and Advocate John Gicheru. She said the others were cleared by immigration officials without incident.
According to Ms Karua, she completed Ebola surveillance forms and went through normal immigration procedures. She said she was initially cleared to enter Uganda.
However, while she waited near the luggage area, an immigration officer approached her and told her there was a problem.
“She told me she had made a mistake to clear me and there was a note on me,” Ms Karua recounted after returning to Nairobi.
She said she had earlier received information that Ugandan authorities might place her on a “red alert” list.
Ms Karua linked the move to her public comments about the alleged torture and detention of Mr Lukwago, who is part of Dr Besigye’s legal team.
She said she had not travelled as Dr Besigye’s lead counsel. Instead, she said, she had gone to check on Mr Lukwago, who was expected to appear in court.
Phones Seized Before Explanation, Karua Says
Ms Karua said she was escorted to the office of the Principal Immigration Officer.
She said two junior officers then seized her mobile phones by force before giving her any explanation.
“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.
The People’s Liberation Party leader said officials later informed her that she would not be allowed into Uganda for “security reasons.”
She said they did not provide further details. She also said she was briefly threatened with detention before asking to wait for her return flight from the airport lounge.
Ms Karua remained under close watch until she boarded a Kenya Airways flight back to Nairobi.
When she arrived at Jomo Kenyatta International Airport, she carried a notice dated June 22, 2026. The notice was titled “Notice to return or convey prohibited immigrant.”
It stated that she was persona non grata and directed Kenya Airways to return her to Nairobi.
“The snatching, through use of force, of my phones… is actionable and I am definitely going to sue,” she said.
She added that she suspected the phones may have been interfered with.
Deportation Linked to Besigye and Lukwago Cases
The legal dispute involving Ms Karua dates back to November 16, 2024.
Dr Besigye was allegedly abducted from Nairobi during Ms Karua’s book launch and secretly taken to Uganda to face trial before a military court.
Since then, Ms Karua has served as co-lead counsel in Dr Besigye’s defence team alongside Mr Lukwago.
She said the latest incident reminded her of May last year, when she and other Kenyan lawyers were deported from Tanzania while trying to follow the treason trial of opposition leader Tundu Lissu.
“This is my second deportation,” Ms Karua said.
She argued that, as a citizen of the East African Community, she is entitled to move freely within the region.
“If it is an offence for me to move within East Africa, yet I hold an East African passport, is there an East African Community, or is it just a club of leaders?” she asked.
Regional Legal Bodies Condemn Uganda’s Action
The deportation drew criticism from several legal bodies.
The East African Law Society, the Law Society of Kenya and the Senior Counsel Bar condemned the move. They described it as a violation of due process, judicial independence and freedom of movement within the East African Community.
The Senior Counsel Bar of Kenya called the incident an assault on justice.
The East African Law Society said the deportation violated treaty guarantees on free movement and due process. The Law Society of Kenya demanded an explanation from Kampala.
The Uganda Law Society also criticised the action. It described the deportation as a direct assault on the principles of East African Community integration.
ULS vice president Asiimwe Anthony said the incident undermined the spirit of Jumuiya.
“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.
ULS Says Karua Had Uganda Practising Clearance
The Uganda Law Society said Ms Karua was not entering Uganda only as a political figure.
The society said she is a fully accredited legal professional with a valid Special Practising Certificate issued by the Uganda Law Council under Section 18 of the Advocates Act.
The certificate was registered through Lukwago & Co. Advocates.
According to ULS, the certificate authorises Ms Karua to practise in Uganda and appear in court in high-profile defence cases.
The lawyers’ body said it would temporarily avoid open confrontation to allow room for “constructive engagement” with government authorities.
However, it reaffirmed solidarity with regional advocates facing state barriers while performing professional duties.
Sseggona Links Deportation to State Paranoia
As news of Ms Karua’s deportation spread in Kampala, lawyers had gathered at the Magistrate’s Court for the ruling on Mr Lukwago’s bail application.
Outside court, defence lawyer Medard Lubega Sseggona criticised the state’s actions.
He linked Ms Karua’s deportation to what he described as a wider pattern of state paranoia.
Mr Sseggona also raised concern about Mr Lukwago’s health while in state custody. He warned against medical neglect and invoked memories of political detainees who died after being denied proper care.
Additional reporting by Job Bwire & Mike Sebalu.