By Mariam Nanyanzi
The Uganda Law Society (ULS) has ordered all its members to boycott the planned thanksgiving ceremony organised for Chief Justice Flavian Zeija in Rukungiri District.
ULS accuses the leadership of the Judiciary of neglecting core justice delivery and failing to defend judicial independence.
The boycott, issued through Executive Order No. 14 of 2026 by ULS President Isaac K. Ssemakadde, explicitly bars legal practitioners from attending, speaking at, sponsoring, advertising, or providing any form of support to the event scheduled for Saturday, November 21, 2026, at Karama Primary School playground in Nyarushanje Sub-county.
In the executive order, Mr Ssemakadde denounced the planned festivities, which are intended to celebrate Dr. Zeija’s appointment and his first anniversary as the head of Uganda’s judicial arm.
“The Uganda Law Society, acting through its Radical New Bar Governing Council and in furtherance of Executive Order No. 7 of 2026, hereby solemnly denounces the planned thanksgiving ceremony scheduled for Saturday, 21, November 2026 at Karama Primary School playground in celebration of the appointment and the first anniversary of Dr Flavian Zeija as Chief Justice of the Republic of Uganda,” the executive order reads in part.
The Society raised grave concerns over the process that elevated Dr. Zeija to the helm of the Judiciary, describing the appointment as flawed and lacking procedural integrity.
“The appointment process was suspiciously accelerated, irregular, non-transparent, and conducted without meaningful public participation or a properly constituted Judicial Service Commission that included ULS representation,” the order adds.
Mr Ssemakadde, who is currently in self-exile, directed any lawyers who receive invitations to decline them formally in writing. He further urged law firms and regional legal associations across the country to issue internal directives ensuring strict compliance among their members.
He warned that participating in the event undermines the professional duties of the legal fraternity and shields judicial officers from accountability.
“The Uganda Law Society therefore declares that any participation in, endorsement of, or attendance at this ceremony by members of the Bar, the Bench, the clergy, local leadership, or civil society constitutes the conferral of undeserved legitimacy upon judicial capture and is incompatible with the professional and ethical obligations of an independent legal profession,” Mr Ssemakadde stated.
The ULS president questioned the moral precedent of hosting high-profile celebrations in Rukungiri, the home district of prominent political detainees, including former presidential candidate Dr Kizza Besigye and former parliamentary aspirant Sam Mugumya. He noted that holding a lavish gathering in the area while local citizens face indefinite detention or unresolved questions regarding their liberty is insensitive to affected families and communities.
“To feast and sing Tukutendereza Yesu while fellow citizens from the same soil remain in prolonged detention or unexplained custody is to reduce faith and community to performance,” Mr Ssemakadde said.
Highlighting systemic failures within the administration of justice, the ULS cited the prolonged detention of political prisoners, arbitrary bail denials, unresolved habeas corpus applications regarding enforced disappearances, and unaddressed allegations of torture as key drivers of the boycott.
Mr Ssemakadde pointed out that the upcoming Rukungiri gathering marks the fourth thanksgiving event organized since Dr. Zeija assumed office, calling the repeated festivities an unnecessary distraction from the Judiciary’s primary constitutional duty.
“The judiciary’s priority must remain the resolution of cases, not the organisation of social gatherings,” he insisted, arguing that public resources, official transport, and the working time of judges and registrars should instead be directed toward tackling chronic case backlogs, improving court infrastructure, and widening access to justice for ordinary Ugandans.
He further cautioned that the involvement of political figures and local government administration leaders in such judicial events creates a perception of partisan alignment between the Judiciary and the Executive branch. Additionally, the ULS president questioned the transparency surrounding the funding of the ceremony, warning that massive public functions open avenues for improper influence, gift-giving, and lobbying aimed at judicial officers.
However, in a phone interview with this publication, Chief Justice Zeija dismissed the boycott directive and questioned the legal mandate of the current ULS leadership.
“By the way, the Uganda Law Society’s tenure in office expired in August. It is a two-year term, and it has since expired, so that should not be an issue. Their tenure in office expired, meaning he has no power,” Dr. Zeija said.
The Chief Justice emphasized that attendance at his thanksgiving function remains voluntary and expressed confidence that many members of the legal fraternity would still show up to support him.