Jackson Kafuuzi takes oath as Deputy Attorney General

Kampala, Uganda | THE INDEPENDENT | The Kyaka South Member of Parliament Jackson Kafuuzi Karugaba has taken oath as the new Deputy Attorney General after a month of waiting.

Kafuuzi who was appointed in a cabinet reshuffle in December had his work experience queried by the Parliaments appointments committee chaired by Speaker of Parliament Rebecca Kadaga.

Last month Kafuuzi managed to convince the same committee which described him as “more composed” in his second meeting with them.

There were issues surrounding Kafuuzi’s practicing certificate as an advocate of the High Court, despite having experience as a lawyer.

According to the Ugandan Constitution, a person shall not be qualified to be appointed Deputy Attorney General unless he or she is qualified to practice as an advocate of the High Court and has practiced or gained the necessary experience for not less than seven years. The renewal of the certificate has been a benchmark indicating a person’s role as an advocate.

Kafuuzi was on Wednesday sworn in at State House in Entebbe at a function presided over by President Museveni.

Kafuuzi last renewed his practicing certificate as an advocate for the High court in 2015 which means he did not have the seven years as required by law.

However since then, Kafuuzi has maintained that practicing certificates are not a requirement in the law for one to be an Attorney General, but it is also not the qualification for experience.

In an interview with journalists, Kafuuzi says “If I am going to do research, if I am going to draft pleadings, if I am going to do law reporting, if I am going to negotiate contracts, if I am going to sit on the legal and Parliamentary affairs committee, I do not need a practicing certificate,”

Kafuuzi graduated with a Bachelor of Laws Degree from Makerere University in 2002 and obtained a Diploma in Legal Practice from the Law Development Centre in 2003. From that time, he has been in service as a Legal Officer and later as an Advocate at Rwakafuuzi & Co. Advocates, until 2016 when he joined parliament.

Kafuuzi replaces Mwesigwa Rukutana who has been transferred to the Ministry of Gender as State Minister.

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