Leaders stand in solidarity with Karua after Uganda deportation

A section of Kenyan leaders has expressed solidarity with
People’s Liberation Party (PLP) leader and Senior Counsel Martha Karua
following her detention and deportation from Uganda, where she had travelled
for a court-related engagement.

Karua had flown to Uganda alongside Law Society of Kenya
President Charles Kanjama to attend court proceedings linked to the bail
application of Ugandan opposition leader Kizza Besigye.

She was, however, denied entry upon arrival at Entebbe
International Airport and ordered to return to Kenya, in an incident that has
since sparked criticism from political and legal leaders in the region.

Wiper Patriotic Front leader Kalonzo Musyoka said he visited
Karua alongside other leaders, including former CS Justin Muturi, Chief Justice
(Emeritus) David Maraga, and Democratic Action Party-Kenya leader Eugene
Wamalwa, among others.

“What transpired is deeply troubling and sets a dangerous
precedent for our region. The arbitrary denial of entry to a respected leader
and Senior Counsel is not only an affront to her dignity, but also a direct
violation of the principles that underpin the East African Community,” Kalonzo
said.

He warned that the incident reflects shrinking
democratic space in the region and urged East Africans to defend the rule of law,
free movement, and democratic freedoms.

“We must not allow the continued shrinking of democratic
space within our region to become the norm. Today it is Martha Karua, tomorrow
it could be any voice that dares to stand for justice,” he added.

Kalonzo said the leaders strongly condemned the action and
called on citizens across East Africa to stand against what they termed
political intolerance and violations of regional integration principles.

“We stand in full solidarity with Martha Karua and with all
those who continue to champion a just, open, and democratic East Africa,” he
said.

Karua’s deportation has drawn attention from legal and
political circles, with questions raised over the treatment of legal
representatives involved in cross-border judicial proceedings within the East
African Community.

Karua accused Ugandan authorities of interfering with the legal defence of opposition leader Besigye after she was denied entry into the country and deported back to Kenya.

Speaking upon her arrival at Jomo Kenyatta International Airport (JKIA) on Monday, Karua recounted her ordeal at Entebbe International Airport, where she said immigration officials detained her, confiscated her phones and informed her that she would not be allowed into Uganda.

“After being taken around offices, I was taken to a man who told me he’s the principal immigration officer at the airport, and he told me that I would not be allowed to enter. I told them there was no problem, but by then two of his junior officers had snatched both my phones,” Karua said.

She claimed the move was politically motivated and intended to frustrate legal representation for Besigye, who is facing treason charges in Uganda.

“This is political persecution of Besigye, and it is interference with his defence because the hearing of his case was even supposed to start last week,” she said.