KAMPALA, Uganda:- The Ugandan legal fraternity has intensified calls for urgent judicial intervention to expire a series of unresolved legal disputes that have shaken the Uganda Law Society (ULS) throwing it into a crisis of its leadership.
Leading legal practitioners under the ULS want the Courts of Law to swing into action and deliver ruling on stalled cases filed in defense of Radical New Bar President Isaac Ssemakadde if the judiciary is to preserve the integrity of the legal profession.
In one letter addressed to High Court Judge, Hon Justice Paul Wolimbwa Gadenya, on Tuesday, March 25, 2025, Mr Paul Mukiibi, the Founding Partner at Mukiibi & Kyeyune Advocates, expressed profound concern over the delayed legal proceedings which he said expose loopholes in the country’s judiciary and the application of the rule of law for which it stands.
“As a concerned member of the Uganda Law Society (ULS), I am writing to bring to your attention a matter of grave concern regarding the ongoing legal proceedings involving the ULS President, Mr. Isaac Kimaze Ssemakadde, S.C. These proceedings have attracted international attention and cast a spotlight on Uganda’s judicial system, highlighting concerns about the rule of law and the integrity of the judiciary,” Mukiibi wrote in his petition.
Despite the compliance with court directives, Mukiibi says the judicial delays have compounded the challenges facing Mr. Ssemakadde and the broader legal community. “As you are aware, on 21 January 2025, the ULS President filed a petition invoking the supervisory jurisdiction of this Honourable Court to halt a private prosecution authorized by the Buganda Road Chief Magistrates Court against him. On 24 January 2025, the ULS President also filed in this Court an urgent application for a stay of proceedings in the lower court vide Miscellaneous Application No. 0030 of 2025,” he said, adding; “these records are available on ECCMIS” for reference.
Mukiibi further reported the abuse of court process by the Buganda Road Chief Magistrate, Ronald Kayizzi who slapped “a fresh warrant of arrest”, purportedly directed to INTERPOL,” calling for Ssemakadde’s arrest, despite presence pending applications before the High Court and requests for a stay of earlier proceedings.
The Senior Advocate decried the inactivity of the High Court on these stalled rulings which “has inflicted severe harm on Mr. Ssemakadde, the ULS, and the broader legal community. The delay in delivering a ruling has denied Mr. Ssemakadde his constitutional right to a fair and expeditious trial, causing harm to his reputation, liberty, and ability to fulfill his responsibilities as Head of the Bar.”
“…the Court’s inaction has eroded public trust in the judiciary’s ability to address matters promptly and fairly. For the public, the Court’s inaction sends a disheartening signal, implying that even those who lead the profession are not afforded the consideration they deserve before the law,” he added.
“I respectfully urge this Honourable Court to expedite the delivery of the ruling in Miscellaneous Application No. 0030 of 2025. A prompt ruling is essential to protect Mr. Ssemakadde’s rights, restore the integrity of the ULS, reaffirm the judiciary’s dedication to fairness and the rule of law, and uphold the constitutional right to a fair trial.”
Consolidation of ULS Matters
In another letter dated March 20, 2025, addressed to the Court Administrator of the Court of Appeal of Uganda, Mr. Mukiibi also called for the consolidation and urgent hearing of three related appeals involving the Uganda Law Society President and Another vs. Mugisha Hashim Mugisha and Others, Uganda Law Society and Another vs. Nabasa Gladys Wall and Isaac Kimaze Ssemakadde vs. Mugisha Hashim Mugisha.
According to him, these appeals share common grounds and “require determination of a recusal application which, if resolved, could dispose of all three appeals efficiently.”
Mukiibi emphasized of the urgency of the matter, saying that “the continued delay in the determination of these appeals severely hampers the governance of the ULS and has left its membership in a state of uncertainty. Failure to prioritize these appeals jeopardizes the ULS’ representation in the Judicial Service Commission and may result in further disharmony and litigation.”
Background of ULS Crisis
The ULS has been engulfed in internal strife since November 2024, when the General Secretary Phillip Munaabi and Council Member Geoffrey Turyamusiima attmped to overthrow the leadership of President Isaac Ssemakadde and Vice President Anthony Asiimwe over allegations of gross misconduct.
Munaabi who spearheaded the attempted coup accused Mr. Ssemakadde of making inflammatory remarks, including derogatory comments directed at the Director of Public Prosecutions (DPP), Justice Jane Frances Abodo, which allegedly “tarnished the credibility of the society and strained relationships with stakeholders.”
Since then, a series of legal disputes involving Mr. Ssemakadde have persisted, and his recent disappearance from the Bar and the entire public has further complicated the ULS’s internal governance and operations, although his Vice President Anthony Asiimwe insists that he is away on “official duties.”
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