Martha Karua Takes To Court After ULC Clearance
By Our Correspondent
KAMPALA
The Kenyan based former justice minister and lawyer , Martha Karua will Tuesday , January 7,2025 take to court as lead counsel after Uganda Law Council reversed its earlier decision, granting a temporary practicing certificate to her.
The certificate allows her to represent Dr Kizza Besigye and Hajj Obeid Lutale before the General Court Martial which resumes Tuesday.
Besigye and Lutale, who were abducted from Nairobi in November and forcibly returned to Uganda, face charges of unlawful possession of firearms and ammunition.
The case has drawn international attention, with the manner of their arrest and rendition sparking outcry from rights groups.
Last year, the Law Council rejected Karua’s application for a temporary practicing certificate, citing procedural grounds.
This decision drew sharp criticism, particularly from the Law Society of Kenya (LSK) and the Uganda Law Society (ULS).
Isaac Ssemakadde, president of the ULS, lambasted the council’s rejection of Karua, describing it as “a blatant denial of justice.”
He argued that it undermined the principles of fair representation and transparency. Ssemakadde also offered to support Karua in appealing the decision, emphasizing the importance of regional legal cooperation.
The Law Society of Kenya issued a stern warning following the rejection, threatening to push for reciprocal measures barring Ugandan lawyers from practicing in Kenya.
Besigye and Lutale’s legal team has maintained that their clients’ abduction and transfer to Uganda violated international law.