In a closed-door meeting, Buganda Road Chief Magistrate Ritah Kidasa Wanyama assured maverick lawyer Kassim Male Mabirizi and his lawyers that she will preside over his criminal trial based only on the law and evidence without following orders from her bosses including the Chief Justice Dr Flavian Zeija.
On Wednesday, before the matter proceeded, Mabirizi through his lawyers led by Uganda Law Society vice president Anthony Asiimwe and Yasin Ssentumbwe Munnagomba told the trial magistrate that they have a private matter which they need to discuss with her and the prosecution in her chambers.
The magistrate put the matter on hold and summoned both parties to her chambers where Asiimwe told her that his client is under threat and is very worried that he will not get justice from her since the complainants are her bosses.
Asiimwe told the magistrate that days after the imprisonment of their client, the Chief Justice boasted that he will punish all those who use social media to annoy judicial officers adding that he does not regret causing the arrest and imprisoning of Mabirizi.
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He noted that as the head of the judiciary and given that the trial magistrate is under him, plus another complainant Justice Musa Ssekaana who is a judge of the Court of Appeal, they can influence her decision against their client without following the law and evidence presented.
In response, Kidasa told them that she understands their worries, however, she assured them that being a judicial officer who took oath to give justice, she will protect both parties as the law commands and pleaded with Mabirizi to believe in her.
She thanked Asiimwe and his fellow lawyers for raising the matter in private noting that even though she is a magistrate, she is also a Ugandan, a lawyer and has a family and friends who need protection. He pleaded with Mabirizi to be careful when making certain statements against a judicial officers.
“Like the other time, Mr Mabirizi said in Court that we share history with him so I should recuse myself from his trial. Really, which history do I share with you Mr Mabirizi? We did not study law from the same university. People were even claiming in WhatsApp groups that you were my boyfriend which is not true,” Kidasa said
In response, Mabirizi told the magistrate that his statement was taken out of context noting that he meant that she was given the job because of being a wife to Don Wanyama the Chief Executive Officer of the New Vision, on whose wedding the Chief of Defence Forces (CDF) Gen Muhoozi Kainerugaba was the best man.
He disclosed that he was talking about that history not a love affair as people believed.
Mabirizi even instituted a private criminal proceeding against the CDF for violating the country’s constitution and participating in the partisan politics, and Kidasa who was then a magistrate at Nakawa Chief Magistrate’s Court dismissed his case without hearing him.
He added that he also filed a complaint against her at the Judicial Service Commission accusing her of incompetence and wanted her to be removed from the office of the magistrate.
“Your worship, let me take your word, because the trouble that myself and my good friend Isaac Ssemakadde, the president of the Uganda Law Society are facing now are as a result of the remarks made by the Chief Justices, first it was Owiny Dollo then Dr. Zeija. I was imprisoned by Ssekaana for eighteen months, so I have a reason to be scared,” Mabirizi was quoted telling the meeting.
After the meeting, Mabirizi presented four sureties who included city lawyer Nasser Kibazo, his young brother who is also a city accountant Isma Nsereko, his elder sister and businesswoman Lukiya to support his bail application.
Principal State Attorney Richard Birivumbuka and long serving Buganda Road Chief State Attorney Joan Keko put up a spirited fight asking for two weeks’ time to respond to Mabirizi’s bail application.
They claimed that they received the documents detailing the sureties on 13th February 2026, and failed to get time to investigate the documents.
Mabirizi protested the two weeks’ time and applied for an interim bail as the prosecution does their investigations on his sureties but the presiding magistrate dismissed the application insisting that prosecution has to be given time to respond before she makes her decision on whether to release him on bail or not.
The matter adjourned to Friday next week when the State will respond to Mabirizi’s bail application and he was further remanded to Luzira prison.
