The Uganda Law Society (ULS) president Isaac K. Ssemakadde has condemned the authorities for denying Martha Karua a licence to practice law in Uganda.

In a press statement on Tuesday December 10, 2024, Ssemakadde urged Karua to reapply for the same through his office. 

This was after Karua applied for a temporary law practice certificate to enable her to represent Ugandan opposition leader Kizza Besigye in Court. 

“The decision of the Uganda Law Council dated 6th December 2024 denying the application for a special practicing certificate by Kenyan Advocate Martha Wangari Karua (Senior Counsel) is per incuriam. 

“The Law Council disregarded Article 19 of the IBA Standards for the independence of the Legal Profession which states: ‘Where a person involved in litigation wishes to engage a lawyer from another country to act with a local lawyer, the appropriate association of lawyers shall cooperate in assisting a foreign lawyer to obtain the necessary right of audience provided that he or she has the qualifications and fulfils the conditions required to obtain that right,”  Ssemakadde noted in a statement. 

He added that as a member of the Law Council in terms of Section 2(1)(d) of the Uganda Advocates Act, Cap. 295, he was maliciously not invited to the special sitting of 6th December 2024 that purportedly considered the Section 18 on the application of Advocate Martha Karua. 

“I urge Ms. Karua, SC to reapply through my office, invoking the IBA Standards for the Independence of the Legal Profession. 

“I am committed to supporting her professional right to practice law in Uganda without discrimination as to origin or political opinion,” he stated. 

At the same time, the ULS president alleged that the existence of the Law Council in its current form undermines the independence of the legal profession in Uganda. 

However, in a letter dated December 6, 2024, the council cited several reasons for rejecting Karua’s request, citing issues with the notarization of required documents.

Karua expressed her dismay in a response shared on social media.

“Rather than use these as reasons to decline my application, one would expect that the law council would have asked for whatever additional documents it desired,” Karua posted on X.