Justice Musa Ssekaana the controversial Court of Appeal judge and Uganda Human Rights Commission chairperson Mariam Wangadya are being targeted in the ongoing lobbying for the office of the Deputy Chief Justice.
Judicial Service Commission through its Permanent Secretary Dr Rose Nassali Lukwago announced that the process of looking for the suitable Ugandan to be appointed the Deputy Chief Justice kicked off after president Museveni appointed Dr Flavian Zeija as the Chief Justice replacing Justice Owiny Dollo who retired after clocking 70 years of age.
Ono Bwino can exclusively report that lobbying is in high gear as senior judicial officers and private lawyers are fighting for the juicy job and Justice Ssekaana and Wangadya are among the suitable contestants.
Highly placed State House sources told Ono Bwino that Muslim leaders both at Uganda Muslim Supreme Council and the Kibuli based Supreme Mufti leadership are badly lobbying that the job be awarded to a Muslim lawyer.
However, the president’s emphasis is on a lawyer who is not corrupt and the problem he is facing with appointing career judicial officer is that most of them have been mentioned in corruption intelligence reports.
Wangadya being a former deputy Inspector General of Government (IGG) and also chairperson of the country’s human rights watchdog is getting an upper hand especially given the fact that the president is looking for a person to clean the judiciary.
But the development comes at a time when Wangadya is facing a lot of criticism and allegation of corruption, abuse of office, incompetence including a dossier from a whistle-blower which was filed at the IGG’s office, State House Anti-Corruption Unit and Police’s Criminal Investigation Department asking them to carry out investigations against her.
Sources said that there are some people who want to revenge on Wangadya who is remembered to have leaked corruption syndicates in parliament especially during the process of budget making to the president which resulted into the arrest of a number of legislators including Lwengo district Woman Member of Parliament Cissy Namujju, Paul Akampa and others.
Wangadya testified against the accused persons and narrated how the deal that led to their arrest was planned with the president, but the criminal charges were withdrawn and the accused persons set free which placed Museveni’s government in bad light in terms of fighting corruption.
Justice Ssekaana is another suitable candidate who is under attack and sources at Judicial Service Commission revealed to this website that a number of complaints filed against him are scheduled for hearing before the conclusion of the process of getting the next deputy chief justice.
Sources added that although some Muslim leaders are lobbying for a Muslim to take the job, Kibuli Muslim leadership are not happy with Ssekaana on grounds that he declined to recuse himself from the court case involving Juma Zukuli after they accused him of being biased.
Titular Muslim leader Sheikh Dr Prince Dr Kassim Nakibinge Kakungulu who played a central role in lobbying for Ssekaana to be appointed a High Court judge in 2018 is not happy with Ssekaana’s biased decision which resulted into imprisoning Sheikh Khalifa Lutaaya and Sheikh Hassan Kinene on contempt of court charges.
Other suitable candidates include; Justice Catherine Bamugemereire, Justice Mike Chibita, Justice Christopher Madrama and Justice Monica Mugenyi all Justices of the Supreme Court.
President Museveni on several occasions has been appointing the deputy chief justices from justices of the Supreme Court
Others are Justice Geoffrey Kiryabwire, Justice Barishaki Cheborion, Justice Egonda-Ntende all of the Court of Appeal
The Deputy Chief Justice is the head of the Court of Appeal which also doubles as the Constitutional Court, and to apply for the job, one has to be with Bachelor’s degree in law, a judge, of the Court of Appeal or Supreme Court or High Court
Advocates who have practiced for fifteen years are also suitable to apply for the job and according to sources, the president is set to appoint the Deputy Chief Justice before he swears-in the next term of office because he doesn’t want any vacuum in his government and it is the reason why he directed that local village leadership to be elected before May 2026.
