KAMPALA.
President Museveni has eulogized Prof. George Wilson Kanyeihamba as a distinguished Ugandan who made significant contribution in the country’s legal, academic, and political spheres and will always be missed .
Prof Kanyeihamba died early Monday morning at a Kampala hospital, after years of recurring illness. He was 86.
“ It is with great sorrow that I learnt of the death of our friend Prof. Kanyeihaamba”he said in a statement State House issued on Sunday
Mr Museveni explained that he first met Prof. Kanyeihamba at the historic debate between Prof. Ali Mazrui and Dr. Walter Rodney at Makerere University in the 1970s .
“This is when Prof. Mazrui, in his remarks, said that he was not in “conflict” with Dr. Rodney, whereupon Rodney said that they cannot be in “conflict” because they were not even in “touch”. Rodney meant that Mazrui was talking about neo-colonialism while he was talking about real independence” he said
After that debate, Museveni said he again met Prof .Kanyeihamba in UK as part of their external committee in the 1981-86 guerilla war that brought the current government into power .
“After liberation, he became part of the NRM Government as a minister and, at one time, he represented Rubaanda. Later on, he became a Judge. I salute his contribution to Uganda and to the NRM over the years. Condolences to his family and friends. May his soul rest in eternal peace” Mr Museveni said
Background
Kanyeihamba was born on 11 August 1939 in Kinaba, Kinkizi District, Kigezi Region. He was the last born and eleventh child of Zakaliya Bafwokworora and Kyenda Malyamu Kyakundwa.
He attended Hamurwa Church School, Nyaruhanga Anglican Church Primary School, Nyakatare Church School, Kigezi High School, Busoga College Mwiri, Norwich City College.
He graduated with a Bachelor of Laws from Portsmouth University In the 70’s, he was awarded the degree of Doctor of Laws from the University of Warwick in the United Kingdom.
He was a renowned Ugandan author, a retired supreme court Judge, former cabinet minister, member of Parliament and was a chair of the Legal Committee of the Constituent Assembly that made the 1995 Constitution.
He was appointed a member of the Supreme Court of Uganda in 1997 and retired in November 2009. Previously, he served as minister of commerce, minister of justice, and attorney-general all in President ‘s administration.
He holds a Ph.D. in law from the University of Warwick. In 2008, Warwick awarded him an honorary LLD.
Kanyeihamba was one of the three supreme court justices who ruled that the re-election of President Museveni in 2006 was fraudulent enough to be nullified.
He has since lost his post as judge of the African Court on Human and Peoples’ Rights and commentators believe that his stand in that election petition cost him his job.
He was critical of the Government of Uganda when armed men invaded the premises of the High Court of Uganda to re arrest treason suspects that had been released on bail by the court. The Constitutional Court has since ruled that the invasion of the court premises was unconstitutional.
Career
He was also the chancellor of both the Kampala International University and Kabale University .Additionally, he holds the following positions:
• Member of the Foundation for Human Rights Initiative
• Chairman of The Committee on Judges’ Terms And Conditions Of Service
• Legal Advisor to the President of Uganda on Human Rights and International Affairs
• Chairman of the board of trustees of the Kabale University Chairman, Legal and Drafting Committee of the Constituent Assembly
• Chair of the International Commission of Jurists Advisory Panel of Eminent Commonwealth Judicial Experts
Teaching and authorship
On completion of his undergraduate and professional courses, Kanyeihamba was appointed Lecturer at Portsmouth College, now the University of Portsmouth. Later on, he was appointed State Attorney with special responsibilities for teaching law to professional classes and for the London External Degree undergraduates at the Nsamizi Law School in Entebbe which later became the Law Development Center.
He worked as a lecturer in law at Lanchester Polytechnic, now Coventry University, and at the University of Wales in Cardiff.[13] He has authored and co-authored several journal articles and books;
Books
Constitutional Law and Government in Uganda: The Theory and Practice of Constitutionalism in Uganda Including the Government and Local Administrations, the Citizen and the State, Administrative Law, the East African Community, and the Commonwealth published by East African Literature Bureau in 1975.Reflections on the Muslim Leadership Question in Uganda. Published by Fountain Publishers in 1998 Kanyeihamba’s Commentaries on Law, Politics and Governance. Published by Law Africa in 2006. Constitutional and Political History of Uganda: From 1894 to Present. Published in 2010 by Law Africa. The Blessings And Joy Of Being Who You Are. Published in 2012 by Marianum Press Ltd