Kenyan senior counsel Martha Karua has been deported from Uganda and placed on a flight back to Nairobi after being denied entry at Entebbe International Airport, according to lawyer Eron Kizza.
In an update issued on Monday, Kizza alleged that Karua, who had travelled to Uganda to attend court proceedings involving Kampala Lord Mayor Erias Lukwago, was detained upon arrival and later escorted onto a Kenya Airways flight bound for Jomo Kenyatta International Airport.
“Martha Karua put on Kenya Airways and is now bound for Nairobi via Jomo Kenyatta International Airport. This follows her illegal detention at and deportation from Entebbe International Airport in Uganda this morning,” Kizza stated.
He further alleged that immigration and security authorities confiscated Karua’s mobile phones and were accessing their contents during the detention period, a move he described as unlawful.
“The government authorities have confiscated her phones and are now going through them. How absurd,” he added.
Karua had reportedly travelled as part of the legal team linked to opposition leader Dr. Kizza Besigye, with prior statements indicating she was expected to observe a bail ruling session in Lukwago’s ongoing court matter.
Her reported deportation follows earlier claims by the East Africa Law Society and Uganda Law Society that she was denied entry without explanation, sparking concern among regional legal bodies over freedom of movement within the East African Community.
The developments have also drawn attention to the handling of foreign legal practitioners involved in politically sensitive cases in Uganda, particularly those tied to opposition figures.
Neither Ugandan immigration authorities nor the Ministry of Internal Affairs had issued an official statement confirming or denying the deportation claims by the time of publication.
The incident comes amid heightened scrutiny of court proceedings involving Lukwago, which have attracted political and legal observers from across the region.
As Karua is expected to arrive in Nairobi, regional legal organizations are anticipated to issue further responses regarding the circumstances surrounding her removal from Uganda and the broader implications for cross-border legal practice within East Africa.