People's Liberation Party (PLP) leader and Senior Counsel Martha Karua speaking at JKIA on June 22, 2026 / Screengrab
People's Liberation Party (PLP) leader and Senior Counsel Martha Karua has accused Ugandan authorities of interfering with the legal defence of opposition leader Kizza Besigye after she was denied entry into the country and deported back to Kenya.
Speaking upon her arrival at Jomo Kenyatta International Airport (JKIA) on Monday, Karua recounted her ordeal at Entebbe International Airport, where she said immigration officials detained her, confiscated her phones and informed her that she would not be allowed into Uganda.
"After being taken around offices, I was taken to a man who told me he's the principal immigration officer at the airport, and he told me that I would not be allowed to enter. I told them there was no problem, but by then two of his junior officers had snatched both my phones," Karua said.
She claimed the move was politically motivated and intended to frustrate legal representation for Besigye, who is facing treason charges in Uganda.
"This is political persecution of Besigye, and it is interference with his defence because the hearing of his case was even supposed to start last week," she said.
Karua had travelled to Uganda aboard a Kenya Airways flight alongside Law Society of Kenya President Charles Kanjama to attend court proceedings related to Besigye's bail application and to join a legal team representing Ugandan lawyer Erias Lukwago.
According to the Uganda Law Society, Karua was blocked from entering the country and ordered to return to Kenya shortly after landing at Entebbe Airport.
While Karua was denied entry, Kanjama was allowed into Uganda despite both lawyers travelling for the same case.
"It is difficult to understand why one member of a defence team should be admitted while another is turned away," Kanjama said in a statement, calling on Ugandan authorities to explain their actions.
Karua and Lukwago have been part of the legal team representing Besigye, who has been in detention since his controversial arrest and transfer from Kenya to Uganda in late 2024.
Lukwago was himself charged last week with a treason-related offence linked to Besigye's case and was remanded in prison after appearing in court.
The latest incident adds to a series of obstacles Karua has faced while representing opposition figures in the region. Last year, she was deported from Tanzania after travelling to observe court proceedings involving Tanzanian opposition leader Tundu Lissu.
Ugandan immigration authorities had not publicly explained the decision to deny Karua entry by the time of her return to Nairobi.
