Uganda declares Kenyan ex-minister persona non grata, blocks entry

Uganda declared former Kenyan Justice Minister Martha Karua persona non grata, preventing her entry into the country as she sought to support the defense of detained opposition leader Erias Lukwago. Karua, a prominent lawyer, was informed of the decision via a letter after landing at Entebbe International Airport.

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forcibly took

Karua revealed the incident at a press conference in Nairobi, stating she was forced to return to Kenya. She recounted that police officers "forcibly took" her mobile phones upon being informed she could not remain in Uganda. Although her phones were eventually returned, she declined to retrieve them, fearing they had been tampered with. Karua had traveled to Uganda to attend a bail hearing for Lukwago, with whom she has been involved in the legal defense of another key opposition figure, Kizza Besigye.

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great concern

The Uganda Law Society (ULS) issued a statement expressing "great concern" over the development and solidarity with lawyers facing impediments in their professional roles. Lukwago, a former mayor of Kampala and leader within the opposition Forum for Democratic Change (FDC) party, was arrested on June 15th. His party denounced his "kidnapping" and subsequent transfer to an "unknown destination."

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kidnapping

Lukwago was later charged at the Makindye First Instance Court in Kampala with "concealment of treason," a charge he denies. Opposition sources suggest that on the day of his arrest, Lukwago intended to serve a court summons on the Chief of the Ugandan Armed Forces, General Muhoozi Kainerugaba, who is also the son of President Yoweri Museveni. Despite facing numerous arrests, Kizza Besigye remains a symbol of the democratic struggle in Uganda, having contested the presidency four times.

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concealment of treason