Kyagulanyi blasts Ugandan lawyers for ‘enabling’ injustice
National Unity Platform (NUP) president Robert Kyagulanyi Ssentamu aka Bobi Wine, has sharply criticized members of Uganda’s legal fraternity, accusing them of enabling systemic injustices and entrenching oppression in the country.
Speaking during a public lecture organised under the Radical New Bar (RNB) platform in Kampala, a forum initiated by exiled Uganda Law Society (ULS) president Isaac Kimaze Ssemakade to promote open dialogue on justice and transparency, Kyagulanyi condemned lawyers for what he called “betraying the principles of justice and the rule of law.”
“It’s very painful to see legal minds compromising their values. Those who should be fighting for justice, fair hearing, and constitutionalism are instead enabling repression,” Kyagulanyi said.
He accused lawyers of playing a central role in drafting oppressive legislation, instituting politically motivated charges, and frustrating electoral justice in Uganda. “Who drafts the oppressive laws like the UPDF Act, the Public Order Management Act? It’s lawyers. Who sanctions fake charges against regime critics? It’s lawyers. Who prosecutes citizens like Dr. Kizza Besigye without due process or sends tortured victims like Eddie Mutwe back to prison? Lawyers. Who has made it nearly impossible to overturn presidential election results? Lawyers,” Kyagulanyi charged.
“Today, those who steal taxpayers’ money are shielded by the justice system, while those who protest corruption are criminalised. What lesson are we teaching our children, that stealing is okay?” Kyagulanyi warned that when constitutionalism collapses, even those who once benefited from the system will not be spared.
He called on lawyers to resist lawlessness and take a stand for justice, warning that silence or complicity could lead the country into further chaos.
“Dear learned friends, I think it is high time that lawyers stop acting like they’re safe in this burning house called Uganda. Friends, you’re not safe. In a burning house, in a sinking boat, nobody is safe. So don’t even lie to yourself. You may have titles, you may be successful, you may be well known, but when this regime crashes constitutionalism completely, you’re the next one they’re going to come for. If Uganda collapses as we all see, it surely will if we don’t do what we must do, everyone of us is going to be as vulnerable,” said Kyagulanyi.
He also took a swipe at the Supreme court, accusing it of prioritizing political interests over justice and truth. “All presidential election petitions have seen the Supreme court ignore clear evidence of rigging and state violence. They hide behind the ‘substantiality test’, a legal excuse to deny justice,” Kyagulanyi said.
“That judicial cowardice is what has failed our democracy, and it has kept our country moving in circles. It ignores the reality that in Uganda, electoral malpractice happens throughout the entire electoral process. From pre-electoral times to post-electoral times. I mean, you see abductions, you see torture of opponents, you see internet blackouts, you see military deployment, you see bribery, you don’t just see open ballot stuffing, it happens long before,” added Kyagulanyi.
He blamed the legal fraternity’s failures for contributing to Uganda’s historical constitutional crises, referencing the events leading up to the 1966 power grab. Kyagulanyi was accompanied at the event by several senior NUP leaders, including Kawempe North MP Erias Lukwago Luyimbazi, NUP secretary general Lewis Rubongoya, deputy president Dr Lina Zedriga, and Kalungu West MP Joseph Ssewungu.
Meanwhile, the ULS paid tribute to the late Supreme court justice George William Kanyeihamba, hailing his integrity and enduring contribution to Uganda’s legal framework.
ULS head of rule of law, Afra Apio, praised the former Supreme court judge as a fearless defender of justice. Justice Kanyeihamba was instrumental in drafting the 1995 Constitution and is remembered for his strong stance on judicial independence and the rule of law.
WATCH: My Keynote Address at the Uganda Law Society House Yesterday on Lawyers as Agents of Social Justice Through Upholding Human Rights and Electoral Integrity. pic.twitter.com/WraPURcTXM
— BOBI WINE (@HEBobiwine) July 16, 2025
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