HUNTER NOW HUNTED: Munaabi, Turyamusiima summoned over attempted coup at ULS

Kampala, Uganda:- Police at Kira Road in Kampala have summoned expelled Uganda Law Society (ULS) Secretary General Phillip Munaabi and Council Member Geoffrey Turyamusiima to aid in investigations over an attempted coup of the Bar Association leadership which was thwarted in November last year.

The summons seen by DailyExpress dated March 27, 2025, pin the duo on “malicious information and forgery,” offenses that carry severe legal consequences, including up to ten years in prison if found guilty.

Munaabi and Turyamusiima have been ordered by Divisional CID Officer D/SP Ahimbisibwe Maclean to appear at Kira Road Police on Tuesday, April 1, 2025, at 10:00 AM and assist in the ongoing investigations.

“This office is investigating a case of alleged malicious information and forgery,” reads in part the summons. “You are therefore required to report to Kira Road Police Division… to provide valuable/relevant information relating to the above matter.”

A senior lawyer, speaking anonymously, underscored the gravity of the allegations, stating, “Forgery of official documents is a serious offense that threatens the credibility of institutions such as the Uganda Law Society. This matter must be handled with the seriousness it deserves.”

Background

Munaabi and Turyamusiima were indefinitely suspended from ULS leadership in November 2024 for attempting to unlawfully remove ULS President Isaac Ssemakadde and Vice President Anthony Asiimwe through what has been described as a falsified council resolution.

The controversy erupted when the duo publicly claimed that a majority of the ULS Council had passed a resolution expelling Ssemakadde and Asiimwe from office. However, this assertion was swiftly dismissed by the legitimate leadership of the council, which resulted in their suspension on November 24, 2024.

The internal tensions within the ULS have been brewing since Ssemakadde assumed the presidency in September 2024. His tenure, characterized by his outspoken and reformist stance, has drawn both praise and criticism.

In February 2025, the High Court ordered his arrest over alleged defamatory remarks against judicial officers including Justice Musa Ssekaana and DPP Janes Frances Abodo.

However, amidst all these leadership struggles, Ssemakadde and Asiimwe remain steadily focused on an official Diaspora outreach mission, a program established during the January 2025 ULS Council Retreat in Fort Portal.

Officials at the ULS Secretariat remained tight-lipped when contacted for a comment on the criminal summons slapped against the rebellious council members but promised to address the society on the latest developments in due course.