Kampala, Uganda: Members of the Uganda Law Society (ULS) voted overwhelmingly on Wednesday to extend the tenure of the Governing Council led by President Isaac Ssemakadde by six months, granting his Radical New Bar more time to organize elections amidst simmering governance disputes.
The motion passed during the Extra-ordinary General Meeting held September 17 at Imperial Royale in Kampala, saw 251 votes polled in favour, against 85 for an alternative three-month extension.
“The tenure of our Radical New Bar Governing Council led by President Isaac Ssemakadde, has been extended by six months, following a majority vote of 251 members,” the ULS confirmed in a statement shortly after the meeting.
The extension comes as a relief for Ssemakadde, who remains outside Uganda, having fled the country in early 2025 after coming under legal pressure, including an international arrest warrant issued by Buganda Road Chief Magistrate’s Court on March 19 over charges of insulting the Director of Public Prosecutions, Justice Jane Frances Abodo.
Relatedly, the General Meeting also voted to censure and remove Secretary Phillip Munaabi and Central Region Council Member Geoffrey Turyamusiima, a motion that passed with 462 votes in favour, 83 against, and 35 abstentions, followed by their expulsion from Council in a separate vote of 394 for, 100 against, and 35 abstentions. Members, however, declined to refer them to the Law Council for disciplinary or criminal proceedings.
The leadership crisis traces back to November 2024, when Munaabi chaired a Council session that controversially expelled Ssemakadde and Vice President Anthony Asiimwe over alleged misconduct. The High Court later nullified those suspensions in February 2025 in Munaabi’s favour, a ruling now under appeal.
To fill their void, the ULS appointed Advocate Ssali Babu as Acting Secretary, and Advocate Lule Alexander as Acting Council Member (Central Region), pursuant to the ULS (Election) Regulations, and will stand until the next Annual General Meeting.
The General Meeting also resolved that elections for representatives to the Judicial Service Commission (JSC) be held within one month.
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