Sources confirm that Martha Karua, the former Kenyan justice minister and constitutional affairs minister, was stopped at Entebbe International Airport on Tuesday morning and prevented from entering Uganda. The detention, which lasted over six hours, has drawn sharp condemnation from the Law Society of England and Wales and the Bar Council of England and Wales, both of which issued statements calling for her immediate release and questioning the legality of the barring order.
Karua, a prominent opposition figure and lawyer, had been scheduled to appear at a legal conference in Kampala. According to documents obtained by this correspondent, she was pulled aside by immigration officials who cited a directive from Uganda's Internal Affairs Ministry. No formal charges were read, and no court order was presented. Her passport was seized, and she was escorted onto a return flight to Nairobi.
"This is a blatant attack on the rule of law and the freedom of movement of a respected member of the East African legal community," said a senior official at the Law Society who spoke on condition of anonymity due to the sensitivity of the matter. "The Ugandan authorities have provided no legal basis for this action. We are coordinating with our counterparts in Nairobi and Kampala to ensure her safety and to demand full accountability."
The Bar Council issued its own statement, calling the incident "an alarming escalation of state repression against legal professionals in the region." It noted that Karua holds a valid Kenyan passport with no outstanding arrest warrants or Interpol notices. The council has urged the British Foreign Office to raise the matter directly with Ugandan President Yoweri Museveni.
Karua is no stranger to official hostility. A former presidential candidate and vocal critic of the Kenyan government, she has faced travel restrictions before. But sources say this is the first time Uganda has acted against her. The move comes amid rising tensions between Nairobi and Kampala over trade disputes and allegations of Ugandan support for Kenyan opposition groups.
"The timing is suspect," a Nairobi-based political analyst told me. "Karua was due to speak on judicial independence in East Africa. The Ugandan government has been cracking down on dissidents and activists for months. This is a message to anyone thinking of speaking out."
The Ugandan Internal Affairs Ministry has declined to comment officially. A junior official who answered the phone at the ministry said he had "no information" and hung up. The Ugandan High Commission in London did not respond to multiple requests for comment.
Karua, who served as Kenya's justice minister from 2002 to 2005, is a leading figure in the country's legal reform movement. She has represented clients in high-profile constitutional petitions and has been a thorn in the side of both the Kenyan and Ugandan governments. Her detention has sparked fears that regional legal cooperation is being weaponised against political opponents.
"This is not just about Martha Karua," said a source with knowledge of the British legal bodies' internal discussions. "It is about whether an independent lawyer can travel freely within the East African Community without being treated like a criminal. If the Ugandan government can do this to a former justice minister, what can they do to an ordinary lawyer or activist?"
The Law Society and Bar Council are now pressing the British government to intervene through diplomatic channels. They are also calling on the Ugandan government to issue an immediate explanation and to repeal any secret deportation orders. As of press time, Karua was reported to be safe in Nairobi, but her legal team is considering whether to file a case before the East African Court of Justice.
One thing is clear: the rule of law in East Africa just took another blow. And the British legal establishment is watching closely.
