Kampala, (UG):- Uganda Law Society President, Mr Isaac Ssemakadde together with two other lawyers have issued a strongly worded open letter urging members of the Law Society to reject Dr Anthony Kakooza’s nomination as a representative to the Judicial Service Commission (JSC).
Ssemakadde, alongside Yasin Sentumbwe Munagomba and Simon Semuwemba in an open letter dated December 08, 2024, accuse Dr Kakooza of “self-seeking, hypocrisy, and dishonesty,” asserting that his actions demonstrate a lack of integrity and commitment to justice.
“We, Yasin Sentumbwe Munagomba, Simon Semuwemba, and our former lawyer Isaac Ssemakadde, write to you today with a resolute demand in terms of Article 146(5) of the Constitution: Dr. Anthony Conrad K. Kakooza must be categorically rejected from any leadership position within our Radical New Bar,” reads in part the letter.
Citing their personal experiences, the trio describe Advocate Kakooza as “a spineless careerist, surrounded by patrons of privilege,” who has consistently betrayed legal and academic principles.
Kakooza is strongly contrasted to his late father, Professor J. M. N. Kakooza, who was celebrated as “the first dean of law at Makerere University, a fearless high court judge, and a charismatic chairperson of the Uganda Law Reform Commission.”
The letter, a copy of which this website has seen, revisits a 2016 incident at Uganda Christian University (UCU), where Kakooza, then Dean of the Faculty of Law, chaired a disciplinary committee accused of abusing its authority.
In the landmark ruling delivered by Justice Margaret Mutonyi vide HCMC 22 of 2017, the disciplinary process taken by the varsity was deemed “ruthless, unchristian, inhuman, and degrading,” as court deemed that the students who were protesting tuition increases were expelled without hearings, witnesses, or proper documentation a process that the court found violated both legal and academic principles.
Despite this ruling falling in favour of the suspended students, Ssemakadde and the two colleagues claim Kakooza has shown no remorse. This became evident during the JSC candidates’ debate on December 7, 2024, when Simon Semuwemba confronted him [Kakooza] over the incident.
Instead of taking responsibility, Kakooza reportedly “responded not with contrition, but with a performance of moral bankruptcy,” blaming the disciplinary committee and claiming that the university had been “magnanimous for not appealing the ruling.”
The letter further paints Kakooza as unfit for leadership, stating, “Our legal institutions are in crisis and need to be rescued from authoritarianism. We cannot entrust them to spineless minions with no record of defending the rule of law.”
The authors also draw from Acholi wisdom, citing the adage immortalized in Bosmic Otim’s song, Mac Onywalo Buru (“fire begets ash”), to argue that Kakooza’s lineage does not guarantee a judicious character. “The stark contrast between Dr. Kakooza’s actions and his father’s legacy is a tragic irony,” they emphasize.
Ssemakadde and his co-signatories therefore appealed to ULS members to reject Kakooza’s nomination and to “prevent the elevation of individuals who have demonstrated a lack of integrity and commitment to justice.”
“We urge you to reject Dr. Kakooza’s candidacy outright and defend the integrity of our Radical New Bar. His self-seeking, hypocrisy, and dishonesty are well-documented,” the trio urged, before calling on others with evidence of Kakooza’s alleged misconduct to come forward, emphasizing the urgent need to protect the integrity of Uganda’s legal institutions.
“We appeal to others with documented case studies of Dr. Kakooza’s misconduct to speak out. Together, we can prevent the elevation of individuals who have demonstrated a lack of integrity and commitment to justice.”
“Our legal institutions are in crisis and need to be rescued from authoritarianism. We cannot entrust them to spineless minions with no record of defending the rule of law.”
This letter, issued on December 8, 2024, has sparked a heated debate within the ULS, reflecting broader concerns about accountability and ethical leadership in Uganda’s legal profession.
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