Uganda’s army Chief of Defence Force, Muhoozi Kainerugaba, has admitted to playing a part in the deportation of Peoples Liberation Party (PLP) leader and Senior Counsel Martha Karua from Uganda on Monday.
The country’s president’s son posted on his X account that he was the one who initiated the deportation, calling for a stop to accusations against his father, President Yoweri Museveni.
In a series of posts on his X, Muhoozi said that henceforth Karua will not be granted entry into Uganda.
“Do not blame my great father for this decision. I deported her myself. She's no longer allowed in our country,” posted Muhoozi.
“The foreigners, the lackey media and a few controlled civil society organisations thought they could hoist themselves on our sovereignty and independence? They will learn differently,” he added.
On Monday, standing on the capacity of a Senior Counsel to Karua, had travelled to Uganda to join a team defending her Udandan counter part Erias Lukwago, whom together they have been representing detained opposition leader Dr Kizza Besigye. Together with advocate Erias Lukwago, was detained on arrival by the immigration officials.
On her account, Karua said she was stopped by the immigration team and told that her journey had come to an end, adding that her phone was then taken from her. Upon inquiring, she was informed that she was not allowed due to security reasons.
“I went through immigration as normal after filling out the Ebola forms. I was actually processed and went to wait for my colleagues. While waiting, the immigration officer who cleared me came and told me she had been informed that she had made a mistake and that there was a note regarding me. I had been told last week that there was a possibility of a red alert on me in Kampala,” said Karua.
She condemned the incident, calling for an overhaul of East African democracy, as it was not the first time the leader had been denied entry into an East African country.
Last year during her visit to Tanzania, where she was supposed to represent opposition leader Tundu Lissu who had been charged with treason , Karua was detained and denied entry by Tanzanian officials at Mwalimu Julius Nyerere International Airport in Dar es Salaam.
“What I have realised now is that East Africa has shrunk…this is my second deportation. I was barred from entry into Tanzania for daring to go and witness the trial of Tundu Lissu, yet their constitution says criminal trial is a public thing which anybody can go to,” Karua noted.
The move has elicited varied reactions from factions, such as the Law Society of Kenya (LSK) and Uganda Law Society. While condemning the act, it says it will be moving to court to challenge the decision and demand an explanation for Karua’s ban in Uganda.
