Sources confirm that Martha Karua, the former Kenyan justice minister, was denied entry to Uganda yesterday in what one diplomat described as a 'gross violation of diplomatic norms'. The incident, which occurred at Entebbe International Airport, saw her escorted from a Kenya Airways flight and detained for six hours before being deported back to Nairobi.
Karua, a prominent opposition figure, had been invited by Ugandan civil society groups to speak at a conference on judicial independence. Her arrival was blocked by immigration officials who cited an internal directive from Kampala. No formal explanation has been given, but insiders claim the move is retaliation for Kenya's recent criticism of Ugandan President Yoweri Museveni's crackdown on dissent.
'The East African Community is supposed to guarantee free movement,' Karua told reporters after landing back in Nairobi. 'This is not just an insult to me but to Kenya and the principles of regional integration.'
The Kenyan Ministry of Foreign Affairs summoned Uganda's High Commissioner for an explanation, but no public statement has been released. A source within the ministry told me that behind closed doors, the Ugandan envoy was informed that such actions 'will not be tolerated' and that reciprocal measures are under consideration.
This is not a isolated incident. Just last month, a Kenyan journalist was denied entry to Uganda without explanation. And in 2021, a delegation of Kenyan lawmakers was turned away from a parliamentary conference. The pattern suggests a deliberate strategy by Kampala to control narratives and stifle cross-border criticism.
What makes this particularly thorny is the economic interdependence. Uganda relies heavily on Kenya's Mombasa port for imports, while Kenya depends on Uganda for hydroelectric power and a market for goods. Both sides know that an escalation would be costly. But for Museveni, who has been in power since 1986 and faces growing dissent at home, the risk of a diplomatic spat may seem worth it to silence a critic.
Karua's blocked visit shines a light on the deepening authoritarian drift in Uganda. The country's judiciary, once a beacon in the region, has been steadily eroded by executive overreach. Earlier this year, the Chief Justice was forced to apologise to Museveni after a court ruled against the government.
The East African Community, which preaches integration and shared values, has remained silent. Its headquarters in Arusha issued no statement. That silence is complicity.
So here we are. A former minister, a lawyer, a woman who once prosecuted corruption cases, is treated like a security threat. The men in suits in Kampala think this will deter others. They are wrong. Every blocked plane, every deported activist, every silenced voice only amplifies the message that this regime is afraid. And when regimes get afraid, they get dangerous.
I've seen this playbook before. In Zimbabwe. In Sudan. In Belarus. It starts with closing borders to critics. It ends with closed borders to everyone. The question is whether Kenya will respond with more than a strongly worded note or whether this will be just another item on a list of diplomatic grievances filed in a drawer and forgotten.
My sources in Nairobi say the Foreign Ministry is preparing a formal protest with the African Union. But protests are words. And in this game, actions are the only language that speaks.
