Karua: I will visit Uganda after Museveni leaves power

PLP leader Martha Karua has said she will return to Uganda after President Yoweri Museveni leaves power.

This is after she was denied entry and deported from Entebbe International Airport on June 22 while travelling to Kampala for legal work linked to opposition-related court proceedings.

Karua was reportedly stopped by Ugandan immigration officials after arriving in Uganda as part of a legal team involved in cases linked to opposition figures.

Reports from regional media indicated she had been travelling to participate in proceedings involving opposition-linked legal representation.

After her return to Nairobi, Karua strongly criticised the decision, linking it to broader concerns about political freedoms in the region.

 “I will visit Uganda after Museveni leaves power,” adding that the Ugandan leader is not a “president for life.”

She also argued that regional governments must respect constitutionalism.

Leaders must understand that power is temporary and governed by constitutions, not personal rule.” “No leader is above the constitution, and no country should close its doors to legal professionals because of political fear.”

Karua’s deportation sparked immediate political reactions in Kenya and across East Africa, with opposition leaders and legal associations questioning the decision.

The Uganda Law Society called for clarification on the grounds for her removal, while Kenyan political figures described the incident as worrying for regional democracy and cross-border legal practice.

Karua has been active in regional human rights and legal defence work, often representing or supporting opposition-aligned cases in East Africa. Her visit to Uganda was reportedly connected to ongoing legal proceedings involving opposition figures, including high-profile cases linked to political dissent in Kampala.

Ugandan authorities have not publicly provided detailed reasons for her denial of entry, though reports indicated she was declared persona non grata at Entebbe Airport before being escorted back to Kenya.

The move has added to ongoing concerns raised by human rights groups over political space and the treatment of opposition-linked lawyers in Uganda.

Her remarks upon return underline her long-standing criticism of extended presidential rule in the region and her insistence that East African states must uphold democratic governance and constitutional limits on leadership.