Few weeks back, maverick city lawyer Male Mabirizi received a phone call from his comrade Sulaiman Kakaire proposing a private meeting with him and the topic of discussion was about counsel Eron Kizza’s Uganda Law Society (ULS) presidential ambitions.
The meeting which was held in one of the Court buildings in Kampala city was chaired by Kakaire a celebrated political journalist turned lawyer who was very furious with the social media war Mabirizi declared on Kizza over his ambition to oust Isaac Ssemakadde from his office as ULS president before he completes his two-year term.
According to sources, the meeting spent more than five hours inside the boardroom and was attended by only three people; Mabirizi, Kizza and Kakaire who gave Mabirizi the opportunity to face Kizza and tell him why he was fighting him and if possible, how they can reach a compromise given that they are both comrades in the fight for good governance and Rule of Law in the country.
In the meeting, Mabirizi told Kizza that even though Ssemakadde betrayed him and other lawyers and activists who supported him to defeat counsel Isaac Atukunda when he met Chief Justice Owiny Dollo without consulting them, he cannot abandon him at this time when he needs him more.
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“Yes, it’s true our comrade made a mistake and abused the power we gave him but we cannot abandon him in the middle of the war. Kizza, why don’t you fight to make sure that Ssemakadde gets his freedom and returns back to Uganda? You know very well if he is removed from that position of the president of the ULS, he is going to be arrested from wherever he is and brought back here to serve the two years imprisonment sentence given to him by Ssekaana (Justice Musa Ssekaana),” Mabirizi is quoted telling the meeting.
He wondered why Kizza wants to stand against Ssemakadde without giving him an opportunity to complete his two years term as was the case on counsel Phiona Wall and Benard Oundo. He assured him that he will do whatever is in his capacity to support Ssemakadde because he saw leadership in him.
He implored Kizza to be patient and wait for Ssemakadde to finish his term in ULS president.
“Ssemakadde stood for that position and everyone was behind him. Prior to that, he was in courts representing a number of journalists, political prisoners and activists who were being persecuted by the regime. But the problem I have with you Kizza is that you are only concentrating on issues that bring money in your pocket instead of what will help Ugandans,” Mabirizi added.
After spending more than an hour listening to Mabirizi, Kizza also responded by telling Mabirizi that he is not getting any younger. He informed Mabirizi that he is in his forties and it is the right time for him to take over the ULS top leadership.
He added that on several occasions, he has been declining to take the offer even though lawyers have been reaching out to him to lead them.
Kizza informed Mabirizi that ULS only gives a one-year term for one to be a president not two years as he claims. He added that letting Ssemakadde proceed into another year will give an opportunity to Gen Muhoozi Kainerugaba’s henchmen to take over the ULS leadership.
He assured Mabirizi that Ssemakadde was very aware of his arrest and imprisonment by the court martial which charged him with contempt of court when he was defending Dr Kizza Besigye and his political assistant Al-Hajji Obed Kamulegeya Lutale, but he only come to Kitalya prison to advises him to apologies to Gen Muhoozi so that he can pardon him which he refused to do.
Kizza insisted that Gen Muhoozi’s team led by Counsel Elison Karuhanga of the famous Kampala Associated Advocates (KAA) are preparing Counsel Anthony Asiimwe a son to Justice Andew Bashaija to replace Ssemakadde. Assimwe is currently Ssemakadde’s vice president.
Mabirizi interjected informing Kizza that Ssemakadde’s proposal was strategic given that he wanted Kizza to secure his freedom.
He disclosed that when he was also imprisoned, Ssemakadde approached him with a proposal for him to apologise to Justice Dollo and Justice Ssekaana but he also declined.
“But Kizza, you’re accusing Ssemakadde of being a Muhoozi project member but I’ve been told that you also are working for his camp. And that is the reason why people like Joshua Byamazima and Tony Tumukunde are supporting you. I have information that they don’t have a potential candidate who can secure for them a victory after Atukunda declined to stand again,” Mabirizi said
Mabirizi wondered why Ssemakadde is still in exile if he is a Muhoozi project. Why is he not being helped since the people accused of supporting him are the ones in power.
However, when he appeared on one of the radio talk shows, Kizza said that it was because of Ssemakadde’s character that made the negotiations to save him flop.
He disclosed that he was told to publicly apologise to the Attorney General Kiryowa Kiwanuka and other senior judicial officers he annoyed and embarrass publicly but he refused.
Kizza vowed that if Ssemakadde refuses to handover office after 19th September, 2025, they will use other options to oust him even though ULS leadership have called for a General Assembly on 17th September, 2025.
The rebel leadership led by Phillip Munabi has also called for an assembly on 19th September 2025
The development comes at a time when Kizza is on a nationwide tour looking for support as he gears up to succeed Ssemakadde.
He has been receiving a number of endorsements from different prominent leaders including cultural leaders, politicians and lawyers.
Mabirizi is also standing his ground in support of Ssemakadde’s second term explaining that he needs to be given a second term which he can use to fight for his freedom.
