JSC disowns appointment of new Deputy Chief Justice, 31 others

Kampala, (UG):- Uganda’s Judicial Service Commission (JSC) has dismissed as untrue, the reports making rounds in the media regarding the appointment of the Deputy Chief Justice, Justices of the Supreme Court, Justices of the Court of Appeal, and Judges of the High Court.

In a statement released today, Friday, February 7, 2025, Ms Maria Theresa Nabulya, the Acting Senior Communications Officer JSC, emphasized that the commission is not aware of these alleged appointments, let alone the re-appointment of Hon. Lady Justice Bukirwa Faridah Shamilah to the High Court.

“Reference is made to various publications concerning the appointment of the Deputy Chief Justice, Justices of the Supreme Court, Justices of the Court of Appeal, Judges of the High Court, and re-appointment of Hon. Lady Justice Bukirwa Faridah Shamilah. The Judicial Service Commission wishes to disassociate itself from these publications,” Ms Nabulya stated.

The official response from the Judicial Service Commission comes after nearly 24 hours when Ugandan media outlets reported that the President of Uganda, H.E Yoweri Kaguta Museveni had appointed High Court Principal Judge, Justice Flavian Zeija as Deputy Chief Justice to replace Justice Richard Buteera, who is braced for retirement in April this year.

“The Commission has established official channels through which all official communications are disseminated to stakeholders. These include the official X account (@JSCUganda), the website (www.jsc.go.ug) and formal correspondence on official letterhead,” the statement added.

Ms Nabulya further clarified that any information not communicated through these official platforms should be disregarded as unauthorized, before expressing regrets over any confusion or inconvenience that may have arisen from the falsifying publications.

“The Commission sincerely regrets any confusion or inconvenience that may have arisen from these publications,” the statement emphasized.

The disassociation statement now casts doubt on the authenticity of earlier reports run by media houses as it remains to be seen if the list of appointees was actually a leaked document or doctored by self-seekers.

The Commission, however, did not indicate whether these appointments were under consideration or awaiting official confirmation.