NAIROBI/KAMPALA — Kenyan opposition leader and senior counsel Martha Karua said on Tuesday that she would return to Uganda despite being denied entry and deported this week, declaring that President Yoweri Museveni would not remain in office forever.
Karua’s remarks came a day after Ugandan immigration authorities blocked her from entering the country through Entebbe International Airport, where she had arrived to participate in legal proceedings involving Erias Lukwago, the President of the People’s Front for Freedom (PFF), who is facing charges linked to an ongoing high-profile political case.
The incident triggered criticism from opposition politicians, lawyers and human rights advocates in Kenya and Uganda, who questioned why a senior advocate had been prevented from entering the country to represent a client.
Karua, a former Kenyan justice minister, presidential candidate and one of East Africa’s most prominent opposition figures, had travelled to Uganda as part of a legal team seeking to represent Lukwago. She was, however, denied entry and placed on a return flight to Nairobi. Several reports indicated that some of her colleagues were allowed into Uganda while she was specifically barred from entering the country.
The deportation marked the latest chapter in a growing legal and political battle surrounding Lukwago and opposition leader Dr. Kizza Besigye, both of whom have become central figures in the country’s increasingly tense political landscape.
Lukwago was recently charged with misprision of treason, a charge that alleges failure to report knowledge of a treasonous act. He has denied any wrongdoing and his supporters have described the case as politically motivated.
Karua has in recent months emerged as one of the most visible regional voices supporting opposition figures facing prosecution in Uganda. Her involvement in legal proceedings related to Besigye and Lukwago has frequently drawn attention on both sides of the border.
The latest dispute also raised fresh questions about access to legal representation and the treatment of foreign lawyers seeking to participate in politically sensitive cases.
Legal observers in both countries said the deportation could have implications for regional cooperation within the East African Community, where citizens generally enjoy relatively easier movement across borders.
Karua addressed the matter on Tuesday morning during an interview on NTV Kenya, where she dismissed suggestions that being turned away would prevent her from returning to Uganda.
“I will visit after Museveni. He is not president for life,” she said.
The statement quickly attracted attention across social media and political circles in both Uganda and Kenya, with supporters praising her defiance and critics accusing her of unnecessarily escalating tensions.
Museveni, 81, has ruled Uganda since January 1986, when his National Resistance Army seized power following a five-year guerrilla war. His four decades in office make him one of Africa’s longest-serving leaders.
Over the years, his government has overseen significant economic and infrastructure development, while critics have accused it of restricting political competition and suppressing dissent.
The Ugandan Constitution has been amended twice during Museveni’s presidency to remove key barriers to his continued stay in office. Parliament abolished presidential term limits in 2005 and later removed the upper age limit for presidential candidates in 2017, allowing Museveni to seek additional terms.
The question of succession has increasingly become a subject of public debate as Uganda approaches another election cycle. Attention has particularly focused on Gen. Muhoozi Kainerugaba, Museveni’s son and the Chief of Defence Forces, whose political statements and growing public profile have fueled speculation about Uganda’s future leadership.
Karua’s comments came against that backdrop, touching on a sensitive issue that has long dominated discussions among Uganda’s opposition groups.
For Lukwago’s supporters, Karua’s removal from the country has become another symbol of what they describe as increasing pressure on opposition voices.
Ugandan officials, however, have maintained that immigration decisions fall within the sovereign authority of the state.
As debate over the deportation continued on Tuesday, Karua signaled that she had no intention of abandoning her interest in Ugandan affairs.
Whether she is allowed back into the country in the near future remains uncertain. But her message during the NTV Kenya interview left little doubt that she views the latest standoff as temporary.
“I will visit after Museveni,” she said.
For a president who has dominated Uganda’s politics for 40 years, the remark underscored the enduring debate over power, succession and political change in one of East Africa’s most consequential states.
In what appears like something that could complicate Karua’s hopes of returning to Uganda, Museveni’s son Gen Muhoozi Kainerugaba has hinted on either him or his uncle Salim Saleh succeeding Museveni as reported Here and There.
