NARC Kenya Party leader Martha Karua has joined Ugandan opposition leader Kizza Besigye’s 50-member legal team as he faces trial at a military court.
According to a report by Uganda’s Daily Monitor, Karua will be the legal team's lead, taking over from Kampala Lord Mayor Erias Lukwago.
To practice in Uganda, however, Karua will need to make a formal application since she is from a different legal jurisdiction.
According to Section 18 of the Advocates Act in Uganda, for a lawyer from a different jurisdiction can practice in the country, they must be from Commonwealth countries, must apply for a temporary practising certificate, and must be attached to a law firm in Uganda.
Lukwago, however, said Karua had already made the application and there was good progress.
“The requirement is that you file an application with the law council and the chief registrar will issue a temporary practicing certificate.
“By the closure of business today, we want to finalise the application process so that it can be processed expeditiously. We shall process the applications for the other lawyers in the course of the week," said Lukwago.
This assertion has been confirmed by a letter written by the former Kenya Minister of Justice to the secretary of the Uganda Law Council Navakooza Margaret.
“I am an advocate of the High Court of Kenya of Kenya conferred with the rank of senior counsel and licensed to practice law in Kenya as confirmed by a copy of my practicing certificate and a letter from the Law Society of Kenya,” part of Karua’s application read.
“I have been instructed by Lukwagi and Company Advocates to join them as lead counsel in the proceedings which I have accepted.”
The legal team has brought together several legal minds from both Kenya and Uganda.
“The decision we have taken is to assemble a very big team from Kenya and Uganda. So far 50 lawyers have committed to be with us on that day and are ready to take on the state and provide any other legal services required in the case,” Lukwago stated.
“The head of this team of lawyers is Hon Martha Karua. From today onwards, she is the head of the legal team. I am no longer the lead counsel in this matter.”
All the members of the legal team will be attached to Lukwago’s firm, Lukwago and Company Advocates, to acquire their temporary practicing certificates.
Since his purported abduction while in Kenya to attend a book launch, Karua has been vocal about the miscarriage of justice and even accused the government of Kenya of aiding in the exercise.
After his wife raised an alarm on his disappearance, Besigye, a tough critic of President Yoweri Museveni’s administration, was traced to a military jail in Uganda.
Besigye and his co-accused Hajj Lutale have been charged with illegal possession of two pistols and eight rounds of ammunition.
The case will be heard on December 2.
