Kenyan lawyer Martha Karua denied entry to Uganda

Kenyan Senior Counsel and People’s Liberation Party leader Martha Karua was barred from entering Uganda at Entebbe International Airport on 22 June 2026 and deported back to Nairobi. Immigration officials classified her a “prohibited immigrant” and “persona non grata”, giving no explanation. Karua had travelled with Law Society of Kenya President Charles Kanjama, who was allowed entry, to join the defence team for opposition figures Kizza Besigye and former Kampala Lord Mayor Erias Lukwago, both facing treason‑related charges. Uganda’s authorities have not commented beyond the notice issued by the Directorate of Citizenship and Immigration Control. The incident prompted condemnation from the East Africa Law Society, which labelled the deportation a breach of regional integration protocols and international law. Around the same time, Lukwago’s bail hearing was postponed and later denied, heightening political tension around the case.