Kenyan senior counsel Martha Karua, the lead lawyer representing embattled Dr. Kizza Besigye and his aide Hajj Obeid Lutale Kamulegeya has been denied entry into Uganda after arriving at Entebbe International Airport, the Uganda Law Society (ULS) has revealed.
Karua had travelled to Kampala to join the legal team of former Kampala Lord Mayor Erias Lukwago, who appeared before the Makindye Chief Magistrate’s Court for a ruling on his bail application in a misprision of treason case.
In a statement issued Monday morning, the Uganda Law Society said Karua was blocked from entering the country and instructed to return to Kenya without any explanation from immigration authorities.
“Dr. Kizza Besigye and Obeid Lutale’s lead counsel Hon. Martha Karua, SC, has been denied entry at Entebbe International Airport. She has been ordered to return and given no reason,” the Law Society said.
Karua was travelling alongside Kenyan Senior Counsel Cliff Kanjama, the President of the Law Society of Kenya, who was allowed entry into Uganda. However, Karua was reportedly stopped by immigration officials and ordered onto a return flight despite being part of the same delegation.
The development comes amid heightened public interest in the legal troubles facing Besigye, Lutale and Lukwago.
Besigye and Lutale were controversially arrested in Nairobi, Kenya, in November 2024 before being transferred to Uganda and subsequently charged with security-related offences. The circumstances surrounding their arrest sparked criticism from human rights groups, lawyers and opposition supporters, who questioned the legality of the operation and their transfer across the border.
Karua quickly emerged as one of the most prominent voices on the defence team, repeatedly challenging the charges against her clients and raising concerns over what she described as violations of constitutional rights and due process. She has attended court sessions, addressed the media on developments in the case and consistently called for adherence to the rule of law.
The Kenyan lawyer has also publicly supported Lukwago, one of Uganda’s most outspoken opposition figures and a key member of the legal team defending Besigye and Lutale. In recent months, she has appeared alongside Lukwago and other lawyers in efforts to challenge what the defence maintains are politically motivated prosecutions.
Her denial of entry comes just days after Lukwago was arrested and charged with misprision of treason, an offence that alleges concealment of information relating to treasonous activities. Prosecutors accuse him of failing to report information allegedly connected to activities under investigation by the state. He has denied the allegations.
Lukwago arrived at the Makindye Chief Magistrate’s Court on Monday amid tight security as supporters, lawyers and political activists gathered to follow proceedings in the case.
The refusal to admit Karua into Uganda is likely to generate fresh debate within legal and political circles given her central role in one of the country’s most closely watched opposition cases. It also raises questions about the ability of foreign counsel to participate in legal proceedings involving high-profile political actors.
