Since his appointment as the Principal Judge in 2019 and deputy chief justice in 2025, the writings were on the wall that Dr Flavian Zeija was going to put up a spirited fight in the race to replace Owiny Dollo as the country’s Chief Justice.
Highly placed sources at Justice Dr Douglas Singiza’s Judicial Service Commission revealed that the competition was tense and it was going to be difficult to select the best three names to send to the appointing authority to choose the best candidate for the CJ job.
Even though Justice Dollo recommended a female judge to replace him, Justice Singiza sent three names of men and these are Justice Justice Mike Chibita, Justice Christopher Madrama both judges of the Supreme Court and Justice Zeija who was the Deputy Chief Justice and also head of the Constitutional Court which is also doubles as the Court of Appeal
Ono Bwino has established that other judges who put up a spirited fight but lost at the Judicial Service Commission include Justice Professor Lilian Tibatemwa and Justice Catherine Bamugemereire
More Read
Sources said that even though to a number of lawyers and journalists Justice Chibita was the preferred candidate, because of the historical background with President Museveni’s armed struggle and family friendship, Justice Zeija took the day.
After being appointed the Principal Judge, he started praying at pastor Patience Rwabwogo Museveni’s church of Covenant Nations Church in Luzira a Kampala city suburb.
Justice Zeija is one of the active sheep and always gets special moments with pastor Rwabwogo who is a daughter to President Museveni to pray for him alone.
Apart from praying at Rwobwogo’s church, sources added that Zeija is in good books with Gen Muhoozi Kainerugaba the Chief of Defence Forces (CDF) and also the son to President Museveni and his special advisor on special operations.
Sources added that Attorney General Kiryowa Kiwanuka who has been Museveni’s personal lawyer for a long time was also instrumental in Zeija’s promotions because he is among the few confidants the president always consults when making decisions concerning the judiciary.
Observers are very sure that with Justice Zeija’s discipline, incidents where judges sitting at the apex of the court system fight each other publicly as it was between Justice Esther Kitimbo Kisakye, Justice Dollo and other Justices will not happen.
“Justice Kisakye saw justice Dollo as a junior to him. She has a feeling that she was cheated because she also contested with him. So both Justice Dollo and Kisakye chose to exhibit power which resulted into total embarrassment of the institution. The way Justice Zeija handled himself at the Court of Appeal with serious senior judges was a credit, he always gives them the opportunity to prove their seniority and there was no competition as it was witnessed between Dollo, Kisakye and other Supreme Court justices,” a source said.
Justice Zeija is expected to retire from the office of the Chief Justice if no amendment is made in 2039 even though Uganda Law Society president Isaac Ssemakadde and serial litigant Male Mabirizi insist that he is not fit for the job.
