A fresh diplomatic storm is brewing between Kenya and Uganda after Uganda’s powerful Chief of Defence Forces, General Muhoozi Kainerugaba, publicly admitted that he personally ordered the deportation of Kenyan opposition leader and senior counsel Martha Karua.
In a stunning declaration that has sent shockwaves across the region, Muhoozi said President Yoweri Museveni should not be blamed for the controversial move, insisting that the decision was entirely his.
“I deported her,” Muhoozi declared on social media, before escalating the row further by announcing that Karua would no longer be allowed to enter Uganda.
The outspoken military chief’s remarks came days after Karua was blocked from entering Uganda and subsequently deported after travelling to Kampala to join the legal team of detained Ugandan opposition veteran Kizza Besigye.
The unprecedented public admission by Uganda’s top military officer has triggered outrage among opposition leaders, lawyers and democracy activists, raising fresh concerns over political freedoms and the rule of law within the East African Community.
Karua, one of Kenya’s most prominent opposition figures and a respected advocate across the region, has been actively involved in legal and governance matters beyond Kenya’s borders. Her deportation has therefore been viewed by critics as more than a routine immigration matter, but rather a politically charged decision with regional implications.
Political observers say Muhoozi’s declaration is likely to fuel tensions between Kampala and Nairobi at a time when East African states are seeking closer political and economic integration.
The controversy also places renewed focus on Muhoozi’s increasingly influential role in Uganda’s political landscape. Long viewed as the heir apparent to President Museveni, the army chief has repeatedly courted controversy through his outspoken social media statements, often making remarks that have sparked diplomatic unease across the region.
As pressure mounts for answers, attention is now turning to whether Kenya’s government will formally protest the treatment of one of the country’s most prominent political leaders.
For now, however, Muhoozi appears unapologetic, standing firmly by a decision that has ignited one of the most talked-about political disputes in East Africa this week.
