People’s Liberation Party (PLP) presidential aspirant Martha Karua was on Monday allegedly detained at Entebbe International Airport after Ugandan authorities denied her entry into the country.
According to a statement issued by her team, Karua had travelled to Uganda aboard a Kenya Airways flight alongside Law Society of Kenya President Charles Kanjama to attend a court session involving prominent Ugandan lawyer and opposition figure Erias Lukwago.
While Kanjama was allowed into the country, Karua was reportedly stopped by immigration officials upon arrival and detained at the airport.
“Martha Karua has been detained at Entebbe International Airport after Ugandan authorities denied her entry into the country this morning. She had arrived aboard a Kenya Airways flight alongside the President of the Law Society of Kenya, Charles Kanjama, to attend a bail application ruling in the case against Elias Lukwago,” the statement by her team read.
Her legal team says she remains incommunicado, with her mobile phones switched off and no official communication provided regarding her status or expected return to Kenya.
“Senior Counsel Karua was scheduled to return to Nairobi today but remains unreachable. Her senior team reports that she is unreachable, with her mobile phones switched off, and they continue to await direct communication regarding her status and expected return,” the statement said.
Karua currently serves as lead counsel for veteran Ugandan opposition leader Dr. Kizza Besigye and his co-accused Obeid Lutale in an ongoing treason case before Ugandan courts.
Her involvement in Besigye’s legal battles dates back to November 2024, when the opposition leader was allegedly abducted in Nairobi and later transferred to Uganda. Karua has since led his defense under a valid legal practicing certificate issued in Uganda through the law firm of Erias Lukwago.
The latest incident comes amid heightened scrutiny surrounding the Besigye case and the treatment of opposition figures and their legal representatives in Uganda.
Lukwago, who serves as co-lead counsel in Besigye’s defense team, was arrested during a pre-dawn raid on his residence by members of Uganda’s Special Forces Command on June 15. Following a period of incommunicado detention, he was later charged with misprision of treason, a criminal offence involving the concealment of knowledge relating to an alleged treasonous plot.
His arrest was first publicly confirmed through a social media post by Uganda’s Chief of Defence Forces, General Muhoozi Kainerugaba.
Neither Ugandan immigration authorities nor the government had publicly explained the reasons for Karua’s alleged detention and denial of entry by the time of publication.
