Uganda has denied entry to Martha Karua, the former Kenyan justice minister and constitutional affairs minister, escalating a diplomatic rift between the two East African nations. The incident occurred on Tuesday at Entebbe International Airport, where Karua was scheduled to attend a legal conference. Ugandan immigration officials, citing a sealed directive from the Ministry of Internal Affairs, prevented her from entering the country and placed her on the next flight back to Nairobi.
The move has drawn sharp condemnation from Kenyan officials and legal observers, who view it as a breach of regional protocols and an affront to the rule of law. Karua, a senior counsel and prominent opposition figure in Kenya, had previously criticised Ugandan President Yoweri Museveni’s handling of the 2021 elections and his government’s human rights record. Her detention without formal explanation underscores the fragility of bilateral ties between the two states, which have traditionally cooperated on security and trade under the East African Community framework.
Kenya’s foreign ministry summoned the Ugandan high commissioner in Nairobi to lodge a formal protest, while Uganda’s government has remained largely silent, offering only that Karua was denied entry for “administrative reasons.” Analysts suggest the incident may be linked to ongoing tensions over Uganda’s alleged support for Kenyan opposition figures and disputes over energy infrastructure projects. The African Union has called for restraint and dialogue.
The controversy threatens to undermine regional integration efforts and highlights the growing use of immigration controls as a tool of political leverage in the region.
