ULS slams judiciary over Mabirizi detention despite nullified Computer Misuse Law

KAMPALA, UGANDA: The Uganda Law Society (ULS) has launched a scathing attack on the judiciary, accusing it of unlawful detention and judicial defiance following the continued incarceration of lawyer Male Mabirizi despite a Constitutional Court ruling nullifying key provisions of the Computer Misuse Act.

In a statement released on Wednesday, March 25, 2026, ULS President Isaac Ssemakadde condemned what he described as “blatant judicial harassment and unlawful detention” of Mr Mabirizi, who remains on remand at Buganda Road Chief Magistrate’s Court.

The controversy stems from a landmark decision by the Constitutional Court of Uganda on March 17, 2026, which nullified Sections 26 and 28 of the Computer Misuse Act, laws under which Mabirizi and several content creators had been charged.

The ruling, delivered in consolidated petitions, also issued a permanent injunction barring enforcement of the annulled provisions.

However, ULS argues that despite this clear legal position, the judiciary has continued to remand Mabirizi, with Buganda Road Chief Magistrate Ritah Neumbe Kidasa issuing a warrant extending his detention to April 1.

“This amounts to defiance of a binding Constitutional Court judgment,” Ssemakadde said, adding that the magistrate’s refusal to recognize a certified copy of the ruling undermines the rule of law.

Explosive Claims of Judicial Bias

In a dramatic escalation, ULS linked Mabirizi’s prosecution to personal vendettas, claiming the charges originate from complaints by Flavian Zeija and Justice Musa Ssekaana. The Society further alleged that both judicial officers had previously been blacklisted under its internal resolutions, accusing them of bias and abuse of power.

“Both judicial officers [Zeija and Ssekaana] have been blacklisted by the Society. Under Executive Order RNB No. 3 of 2024, the ULS withdrew its “Excellence from the Bench” award from Justice Ssekaana, cited him for multiple acts of bias, abuse of power and intimidation, and directed members to boycott him,” Ssemakadde wrote in the strongly worded statement posted via the society’s socials.

“Under Executive Order RNB No. 7 of 2026, Chief Justice Zeija was declared a global judicial pariah for conduct undermining the rule of law. The irresistible inference is that the magistrate is acting at the malevolent urging of these blacklisted complainants, thereby turning the court into an instrument of personal vendetta rather than justice,” he added.

But that not it all, the ULS has ordered for the immediate release of Mabirizi and disciplinary action against the presiding magistrate, saying such conduct erodes public confidence in the judiciary and imperils the liberty of every citizen.

“To restore respect for constitutional supremacy, the Chief Registrar and Principal Judge must forthwith direct the release of Mr Mabirizi, initiate disciplinary proceedings against Her Worship Neumbe Ritah Kidasa under the Judicial Service Act, and issue a circular compelling all courts to comply with the Constitutional Court’s 17 March 2026 orders without further delay,” the statement concluded.

The standoff has reignited debate over judicial independence, constitutional supremacy, and the limits of lower courts in the face of superior court rulings.

Legal analysts warn that failure to enforce Constitutional Court decisions risks eroding public confidence in the justice system. But ULS maintains that no individual or institution is above the Constitution, and any continued defiance could set a dangerous precedent for the country’s legal order.