By Editorial,
The Uganda Law Council has reversed its earlier decision, granting a temporary practicing certificate to prominent Kenyan lawyer Martha Karua.
The certificate allows her to represent Col. Dr. Kiiza Besigye and Hajj Obeid Lutale before the General Court Martial today.
Dr. Besigye and Mr. Lutale, who were reportedly abducted from Nairobi in November and forcibly returned to Uganda, face charges of unlawful possession of firearms and ammunition, a case that 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 and the Uganda Law Society, with Mr. Isaac Ssemakadde, president of the Uganda Law Society, lambasting the council’s rejection, arguing that it undermined the principles of fair representation and transparency. END