The Independent Uganda: You get the Truth we Pay the Price
Kampala, Uganda | THE INDEPENDENT & URN | The Uganda Law Society (ULS) has expressed concern over what they say are inexplicable delays in hearing cases in which their President, Isaac Ssemakadde, wants the Court to restore his right to liberty and set aside the warrant of arrest and a two-year jail term against him.
As ULS was holding a press conference to lament about Ssemakadde’s case, Parliamentarians on Legal and Parliamentary Affairs Committee of parliament had a session with leaders of Uganda’s judiciary, who they blamed for undermining justice for those seeking bail.
According to Parliament Watch, MPs on the Legal Committee rebuked the judiciary for the reckless handling of bail applications, with some lawmakers wondering whether some Judicial Officers even have common sense.
The criticism was led by Abdu Katuntu (Bugweri County) and Medard Ssegoona (Busiro East) during a meeting held with officials from the Judiciary who had come to present their 2025/26 Ministerial Policy Statement.
“There is this simple thing called bail. And somebody adjourns a case for two weeks to grant bail. This is madness. This is purely madness. It is not professional. It’s not legal. It’s not common sense. Take a decision whether you grant or not. Simple. But you adjourn for two weeks to consider bail or even more, what are we doing, gentlemen? And some of you, we call you lordships. We call you worships. Why are you Justices when you cannot dispense justice?” argued Katuntu.
The committee also castigated the judiciary for the exorbitant bail fees imposed on suspects, with Katuntu accusing Judicial Officers of vulgarising and monetarising bail application, wondering if there aren’t other mechanisms that can be used to enforce the appearance of suspects in courts.
“Why has money been the factor of the bail? Money. Why don’t we think about other things, such as the attendance or the choose, other than it being economics? Because bail is about for you to secure his attendance. And we have vulgarised it, it is about money. It’s just vulgar, actually. Money, money, money. So me, who doesn’t have money, I have no opportunity because the biggest factor is money,” Katuntu said.
Ssegoona was also critical.
“You adjourn a bail application. What is so novel in a bail ruling? Someone tells you, I’m going to hear your case, but I’ll hear your bail application two weeks, three weeks away from today. You are defeating the Constitution. Because in the Constitution, everybody is entitled to be free, except where their accuser places on your table justification for restriction. Isn’t that the position of the law? Every innocent person is entitled to freedom. Now, you’re aiding the State to incarcerate somebody who is innocent until two weeks when that person will come to justify his freedom. I think it’s unfair,” remarked Ssegoona.
Ssemakadde in exile
ULS Thursday protested the state of the court cases involving the head of ULS, Ssemakadde.
The orders from the Courts were handed to Ssemakadde, who is on the run out of the country after being convicted by the High Court Judge Musa Ssekaana for contempt of court. This is after using his social media platforms to criticize Ssekaana’s decision to block the Uganda Law Society Elections to choose representatives to the Uganda Judicial Service Commission, and he is also wanted at Buganda Road Court for abusing the Director of Public Prosecutions, Lady Justice Jane Frances Abodo.
Addressing journalists on Thursday in the weekly press conferences at the ULS Secretariat in Kampala, the Uganda Law Society, through a statement issued by their Vice President, Anthony Asiimwe, said the situation has created an impression of animosity between the Judiciary and the ULS.
The ULS has also decried the current impasse, where courts refuse to schedule hearing dates for cases filed by Ssemakadde and those involving the Uganda Law Society as an organization.
The organization has emphasized the need for prompt resolution of these cases to safeguard Ssemakadde’s rights, restore confidence in the judicial system, and uphold the principles of justice.
There are several cases involving Ssemakadde and ULS that are pending before the courts of law. Foristance there is High Court Criminal Division Miscellaneous Application No. 0030 of 2025, an application by Ssemakadde for a stay or suspension of the private prosecution case at Buganda Road Chief Magistrates Court. The private charges were levied against Ssemakadde by his fellow lawyers Joshua Byamazima and Tony Tumukunde, who are opposed to his radical rudeness and approach to leadership. However, Ssemakadde’s application to set aside the warrant of arrest issued against him remains adjourned sine die, with the ruling to be delivered on notice.
Another case, High Court Civil Division Miscellaneous Application No 137 of 2025, is an application for a stay of execution or suspension of Judge Ssekaana’s conviction and two-year sentence against Ssemakadde. However, this application has not been allocated to a Judge or a hearing date.
Additionally, a trio of appeals at the Court of Appeal, arising from Judge Ssekaana’s decision to cancel the ULS’ Extraordinary General Meeting, are also pending. Furthermore, High Court Civil Division Miscellaneous Cause No 33 of 2025, a habeas corpus application concerning the military detention of ULS Member, lawyer Eron Kiiza, is also awaiting resolution.
As such, the ULS, through a statement read by their Northern Uganda representative Emmanuel Egalu, has called for cordial engagement with the Judiciary Top Management.
The ULS also indicates that they have accepted the Justice and Constitutional Affairs Minister Norbert Mao’s offer to facilitate mediation. However, the organization remains adamant that a Mediation Summit of Bar-Bench Leaders should not obstruct the timely disposal of cases concerning Ssemakadde’s liberty and the democratic mandate of the legal profession.
The Judiciary and the Uganda Law Society have been at loggerheads following several disagreements with the bar.
But the controversy began in January 2022 when Ssekaana found lawyer Male Mabirizi in contempt of court and ordered him to pay a fine of 300 million shillings. Ssekaana, who has since been promoted to the Constitutional Court, later jailed Mabirizi for 18 months in prison after he had continuously continued to abused him and other Judicial Officers.
Following this, the ULS President, Ssemakadde, then attacked Ssekaana on social media using vulgar language, criticizing his decision, an issue that Owiny-Dollo said was the most grave thing he has seen in his tenure as the Chief Justice.
Owiny-Dollo warned that if the ULS did not apologize, he would take action against them, vowing that this was not just a threat, but he would take action. A month later, Ssemakadde faced the International Warrant of arrest and was handed a year jail term.
The ULS has since refused to back down, instead calling for an urgent meeting facilitated by neutral mediators to resolve the crisis and restore faith in justice, fairness, and due process.
