Since Justice Dr Douglas Singiza the chairperson of the Judicial Service Commission announced the beginning of the long process to search for the next Chief Justice of Uganda to replace Justice Owiny Dollo who is retiring in January 2026 after clocking 70 years, Attorney General Kiryowa Kiwanuka’s name is leading among the possible candidates to take the job.
Other suitable candidates include Justices of the Supreme Court who include: Justice Mike Chibita, Justice Catherine Bamugemereire, Justice Christopher Madrama Ezama, Deputy Chief Justice Dr Flavian Zeija and the newly appointed Principal Judge Justice Jane Frances Abodo.
Ono Bwino can exclusively report that anti-Kiwanuka people in government and in both private and public legal practice are the ones behind allegations placing him in the Chief Justice contest because they know very well that his powers can only be tamed when he is holding that office.
“Before he was assigned as the Attorney General, shrewd city lawyers were using the Attorney General’s chambers to seal fraudulent multibillion deals with government lawyers.
More Read
He is the one also who advised the president to stop the Ministry of Finance Planning and Economic Development from wiring claimant’s money on lawyer’s bank accounts and proposed that claimant’s money should be deposited directly to their bank accounts which annoyed many lawyers in private practice.
Sources said that the only decision in government which Kiwanuka cannot revoke is that of the president and his young brother Gen Salim Saleh.
“He was very instrumental when deciding Chief Justice Benjamin Odoki’s successor, the same thing happened when Justice Bart Katureebe was exiting. He is currently on the team searching for Dollo’s successor, so the president cannot accept to lose him because of Chief Justice Office when their other people who can execute the assignment under Kiwanuka’s supervision,” a source said
He added that Kiwanuka being the Attorney General means that he is a member of the Judicial Service Commission which is searching for the next Chief Justice and he has the President’s ear when it comes to matters of the judiciary.
Maria Matembe a veteran politician claims that Kiwanuka’s word is final on issues concerning judiciary and his name scares many judicial officers that’s why they are very mindful when writing their judgements because he was very instrumental in their appointments.
Since Museveni’s former Principal Private Secretary Amelia Kyambadde introduced Kiwanuka to him, he has helped him to solve both political and legal problems
Flamboyant lawyer Ahmed Kalule Mukasa recently revealed that Kiwanuka was the brain behind the recruitment of young lawyers including himself. Others are; Elison Karuhanga, Hussein Kashillingi who joined Museveni’s camp to counter opposition legal brains of the likes of Kampala Lord Mayor Ssalongo Erias Lukwago, Medard Lubega Ssegona the Busiro East legislator and a number of others who were using their legal expertise to undermine Museveni’s government.
Mukasa added that when former Prime Minister John Patrick Amama Mbabazi declared his political interest to contest against Museveni in 2016 presidential elections, Kiwanuka was leading Museveni’s handlers and was the one who convinced him to participate in the presidential debate at Serena Hotel.
Mukasa explained that their role was to gather and make assessments on words and the actions made by Museveni during his presidential campaigns to prepare early on how to counter Mbabazi because they were very sure that he was going to challenge Museveni’s victory.
When political unrest broke out in Arab countries and other African countries between 2010-15, security briefed Museveni that Dr Kizza Besigye was planning to use Lukwago’s office to create fertile ground for unrest in Kampala so as to overthrow his government.
Museveni assigned Kiwanuka to deal with Lukwago and because of his legal expertise, Lukwago was impeached basing on Justice Bamugemereire’s probe report on KCCA.
Butambala county legislator Muhammad Muwanga Kivumbi a close friend to Lukwago revealed that the impeachment placed his friend in a political fix and one of their allies in the opposition advised him through his law classmate Kiwanuka to reach out to Museveni and settle the issue politically because he was his only saviour.
However, Lukwago declined to take the offer and decided to take the legal route.
Kiwanuka also saved Museveni when political activists Moses Bigirwa dragged him to Court seeking a Court order to subject him for a medical examination to establish his rightful age.
Bigirwa boasted of how America President Donald Trump was ready to fund the examination. The application was dismissed with costs and Bigirwa pleaded to Kiwanuka to talk to Museveni not to imprison him because of court costs.
It was also Kiwanuka who saved the First Lady Janet Kataha Museveni from Makerere university troubles. Currently, according to lawyer Male Mabirizi, the university is running like a Secondary school because lecturers and students are not allowed to express their freedom.
Kiwanuka hasn’t only saved Museveni government but also Kabaka Ronald Muwenda Mutebi’s family and the entire Buganda Kingdom establishment. When the Kabaka started getting revolts from his family members and subjects who were dragging him to Courts of law, Kabaka became desperate thinking that Museveni was behind his troubles.
He was advised by his henchmen and women to hire Kiwanuka’s law firm of K&K Advocates on grounds that judicial officers are scared of the firm since it is connected to the first family and members of the Deep State.
Kabaka personally summoned Kiwanuka and his senior partner at the law firm who is also Museveni’s son-in-law Edwin Karugire at his Banda palace and instructed them with immediate effect handle his legal issues.
They first sorted-out serial litigant Male Mabirizi, then members of Buganda Royals family who were accusing the Kabaka of using his office and influence to grab their grandfather, former king of Buganda Sir Daudi Chwa’s Estate and he is currently are dealing with the issue of Mutungo hill land which Kabaka Mutebi’s family is contesting against the family of city tycoon late Muhammad Buwule Kasasa
Kiwanuka has also helped to negotiate deals between Museveni’s government to Kabaka including the return of the lost properties and saved the Kingdom from bad laws.
Seasoned lawyer and also State Minister of Lands Dr Sam Mayanja claimed that he received a green light from the president to amend the land law and the traditional and cultural leaders Act to tame the powers of the cultural leaders especially Kabaka Mutebi but he was frustrated by Kiwanuka.
“I also have friends in the Office of the Attorney General, and when I asked them how far with my proposals of amending the laws as the president directed, they told me, it will only happen when the leadership in the Attorney General’s chambers has changed,” Mayanja said.
Sources close to Kiwanuka told this website that his ambitions are bigger than being the Chief Justice.
They divulged that he wants to be a king maker that is the reason why he has heavily invested in Buganda for Museveni campaign noting that even though National Unity platform (NUP) wave is still around in Buganda, NRM will not be defeated the way it was in 2021.
“He is extremely rich and the only way to protect his gains and that of other members of the Deep State is through playing a king maker role not being a Chief Justice, the Office with no power especially in this political transition route,” a source said.
