Maverick Kenyan lawyer Dunstan Omari the founding partner of Omari & Associates has kicked off a campaign to convince other Kenyan lawyers under the Law Society of Kenya to ban Ugandan lawyers from practicing in their country.
On Monday, the Ugandan immigration authorities at Entebbe International Airport stopped Karua from proceeding to Makindye Chief Magistrates Court to attend the bail application filed by former Kampala Lord Mayor Ssalongo Erias Lukwago for him to be released on bail after being charged with the offence of mistreason of treason.
Karua who was accompanied by other lawyers from Kenya who included Senior Counsel Charles Kanjama the president of the Law Society of Kenya.
At the airport, Karua was told that to return back to Kenya.
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She later told Kenyan media that while she was trying to demand for answers from the immigration authority on why a member of the East African Community was being denied access to Uganda, one of the security operatives grabbed her phones and took off with them.
She was later declared Persona non grata on grounds that she is a security threat to the Ugandan State.
Karua who is also the president of the Kenyan People’s Liberation Party (PLP) said that she will only return to Uganda after President Museveni leaves power.
She also assured Museveni that he is not going to be the President of Uganda forever.
Gen Muhoozi Kainerugaba the Chief of Defence Forces (CDF) through his alleged X handle, confirmed that he ordered Karua’s deportation and even warned her to stop dragging his father Museveni into her troubles.
High profile individuals, organizations including Law Society of Kenya, Uganda Law Society, East African Law Society strongly condemned Muhoozi’s actions against Karua and asked the Ugandan government to clarify on the matter.
Among those demanding a written explanation is lawyer Omari who said that the only retaliation Kenyans can do for humiliating their law icon and senior leader is by also banning Ugandan lawyers from practicing law in their country.
“The Law Society of Kenya Act allows advocates from four countries to come and practice law in Kenya, and these are: Uganda, Kenya, Tanzania and Burundi. Surprisingly, no Kenyan advocate can be allowed to practice law in those countries, can you imagine I Dunstan Omari cannot be allowed to practice law in those countries!” Omari said.
He claimed that Ugandan lawyers are getting billions from practicing law in Kenya which they take back to their country while Kenyan lawyers are being discriminated even though they are also members of the East African Community.
“I’m not a nationalist but a patriot. It is completely discriminatory to see several advocates from other regions practicing law in Kenya. Is Marth Karua incompetent? She is a senior counsel but she was humiliated, in brief, because of her gender. I move to ask the Law Society of Kenya to call an urgent meeting to consider whether we should also ban Ugandan advocates from practicing in Kenya,” a furious Omari said.
Both Ugandan and Kenyan foreign affairs ministries have not yet issued a statement over the matter but it should be noted that Karua who has been a lead counsel to opposition strongman Dr Kizza Besigye and his political assistant Haji Obed Lutale was also banned from entering Tanzania.
