Martha Karua, the former Kenya Justice minister and the lead counsel for veteran opposition politician Dr Kizza Besigye and his co-accused, Hajj Obeid Lutale Kamulegeya, has sued Uganda’s Chief of Defence Forces (CDF) Muhoozi Kainerugaba over her recent deportation.
In an affidavit filed before the High court, Karua says she was denied entry into Uganda on June 22, 2026, despite holding a Special Practising Certificate issued by the Uganda Law Council authorising her to appear before Ugandan courts.
The affidavit supports an application arising from the treason case against Besigye and Lutale, as well as an earlier human rights enforcement application in which the two accuse Muhoozi of orchestrating Karua’s deportation.
Besigye has also petitioned the court over alleged death threats made against him by Muhoozi. Karua says she has led the defence team representing Besigye and Lutale since November 2024.
She states that on June 11, justice Emmanuel Baguma fixed the human rights application for hearing on June 30 and directed the respondents, including Gen Muhoozi, to file their responses.
According to Karua, she travelled to Uganda on June 22 aboard a Kenya Airways flight accompanied by two colleagues, including the president of the Law Society of Kenya, to participate in proceedings involving her clients and matters affecting members of the defence team.
She says that after immigration officials stamped her passport at Entebbe International Airport, she was separated from the rest of her delegation, who were allowed into the country, and escorted to the office of the principal immigration officer.
Karua alleges that immigration officials confiscated her two mobile phones without explanation before informing her that she would not be allowed to enter Uganda because of unspecified security concerns.
She says the phones were later returned but that she declined to receive them, fearing that confidential lawyer-client communications relating to her clients’ defence may have been accessed or compromised while the devices were in official custody.
According to the affidavit, immigration authorities subsequently served her with a notice directing Kenya Airways to remove her from Uganda after classifying her as a prohibited immigrant. The notice reportedly described her as persona non grata under the Uganda Citizenship and Immigration Control Act.
Karua argues that persona non grata is not a legally recognised ground for denying entry under the Act and says she was deported to Nairobi without being informed of the reasons for the decision or being given an opportunity to challenge it.
She further contends that she was subjected to degrading treatment despite being an East African Community citizen travelling on a valid East African passport and holding authorisation to practise law in Uganda.
Karua also says the difficulties facing the defence team intensified following the arrest and detention of fellow defence lawyer Erias Lukwago. She contends that her deportation forms part of what she describes as a deliberate campaign to dismantle the legal team representing Besigye and Lutale.
In support of her application, Karua relies on a series of posts she attributes to Muhoozi’s verified X account published on June 23, 2026.
Among the posts reproduced in the affidavit is one in which Muhoozi allegedly wrote: “Do not blame my great father for this decision. I deported her myself. She’s no longer allowed in our country.”
The affidavit also cites other posts in which Muhoozi allegedly stated that Besigye “will not escape his just sentence” and that “we will hang him very soon.”
Karua argues that the statements amount to an admission that Muhoozi personally ordered her deportation despite serving as Chief of Defence Forces.
She contends that under Article 208 of the Constitution, the Uganda People’s Defence Forces (UPDF) are subordinate to civilian authority and that the Chief of Defence Forces has no constitutional mandate to direct immigration decisions.
Karua further argues that her exclusion from Uganda has deprived Besigye and Lutale of legal representation of their choice and jeopardised their constitutional right to a fair trial.
She asks the High court to intervene, arguing that unless it does so, the independence of the legal profession, the applicants’ right to a fair hearing and the constitutional order risk being irreparably undermined.
The application names Muhoozi as the first respondent and the Attorney General as the second respondent. Neither had filed a response by the time of publication.
Court records show that Besigye and Lutale were arrested in Nairobi in November 2024 during a book launch organised by Karua. The prosecution, however, alleges that the pair had travelled to Kenya to coordinate plans to overthrow the Ugandan government.
It further claims that several opposition politicians and activists, including Erias Lukwago, attended meetings held outside Uganda where plans to remove the government were allegedly discussed.
Court records also indicate that some of the meetings were covertly recorded by an American national identified as Andrew Wilson, whom prosecutors describe as an informant who later worked with Ugandan security agencies.
