Speaking to journalists in Nairobi on Tuesday, Karua warned that the incident reflects an alarming escalation of political repression, lawlessness, and cross-border intimidation of opposition voices and legal defenders in East Africa.
Karua, serving as lead counsel in the treason case involving four time presidential candidate Dr. Kizza Besigye and his co-accused Obeid Lutale, had travelled aboard a Kenya Airways flight to attend proceedings relating to the bail hearing of her co-counsel, former Kampala Lord Mayor, Ssalongo Erias Lukwago.
Upon arrival, Karua was initially processed and cleared by immigration before being abruptly stopped and directed to a senior supervisor, while other colleagues she had travelled with were allowed entry into Uganda.
She was later held by multiple officials and informed that instructions had been issued to deny her entry.
Her phones were confiscated, she was held incommunicado for hours, and no lawful explanation was provided.
“I am a holder of an East African passport, and I was in Uganda entirely in my legal capacity to observe the case of my co-counsel, Mr. Lukwago. When they denied me entry, I was not initially afraid for my safety, until security officials forcibly seized both of my phones without explanation. They could not tell me what laws I had broken, because there were none. This bullish behavior by security agents was pure harassment and intimidation,” she said.
News of the detention triggered swift intervention from the legal fraternity and human rights organizations across East Africa. Karua expressed gratitude to the East Africa Law Society, the Law Society of Kenya, the Uganda Law Society, and members of the wider legal fraternity and human rights defenders who mobilized to demand her safety.
The Law Society of Kenya, led by President Charles Kanjama, who travelled alongside Karua but was permitted entry, stated in its 22 June statement;
“The issue before us is larger than Hon. Erias Lukwago or Martha Karua. It concerns the ability of advocates across East Africa to stand beside their clients, support their colleagues, observe legal proceedings, and discharge their professional responsibilities without undue hindrance. The legal profession cannot remain indifferent where circumstances arise that appear to constrain those freedoms.”
The Uganda Law Society also raised concerns over East African Community principles of free movement and professional recognition, noting that Karua held a valid special practising certificate issued by Uganda’s legal authorities.
Speaking on Tuesday, Karua warned that her detention at Entebbe cannot be viewed in isolation, but as part of a broader pattern of democratic backsliding and shrinking civic space across East Africa.
She pointed to the abduction of Dr. Kizza Besigye from Nairobi on November 16, 2024, while attending her book launch, in an operation widely linked to coordination between Kenyan and Ugandan security actors. Nearly 600 days later, Besigye remains in detention amid concerns over his health, rights, and access to justice.
“I have walked this journey with Dr. Besigye from the moment he was abducted, and I will continue to stand with him regardless of intimidation. I stand up and speak out because this is fundamentally about the future of justice, democracy, and freedom of movement in our region,” she said.
She also cited escalating attacks on lawyers, opposition leaders, and defenders of justice in Uganda and Tanzania, including arbitrary arrests, intimidation, incommunicado detention, and public threats.
On 15 June, her co-lead counsel in Besigye’s case, Lukwago, was arrested and charged under circumstances that raise serious concerns about due process and the rule of law.
Linking the regional situation to Kenya’s domestic context ahead of the June 25 GenZ protest commemorations, Karua warned that repression, impunity, and lawlessness do not stop at national borders.
She cautioned that leaders who undermine the rule of law endanger not only civil liberties but also the foundations of peace, justice, and national stability.
“What happened in Entebbe is not just about Uganda. It is a warning to Kenya and to the entire region. We must resist the normalization of refusal to follow the law - that is impunity, especially by the political class. We must reject the politics of fear, and stand firm in defence of justice, constitutionalism, and human dignity in the region,” she said.
“Kenyans and all East Africans should care deeply because an affront to justice anywhere in East Africa is a threat to justice everywhere. The infringement of any citizen’s rights is an assault on us all. We must vigorously uphold the EAC Treaty, which guarantees citizens the right to enter, move freely, stay, and work within member countries without state discrimination or political profiling.”
Karua further positioned her 2027 presidential bid as an alternative to regional leadership she criticizes for undermining constitutional order.
“Justice must be our anchor. As President, my vision is for a Kenya that helps build a democratic, prosperous, and truly united Africa, where borders exist to enable commerce, opportunity, and solidarity, not state-sponsored persecution or fear. We will not buy fear, at home or in the region. East Africa must be governed by law, freedom, and human dignity,” she said.