Humanist

“The scarcest and most precious of the world’s resources, character … No lack of weak moral character in the world.”

I have re-listened and re-watched, N times, Prince Harry’s speech he gave at the opening ceremonies of the Invictus Games 2025, Vancouver Whistler, Canada. Each time, I got teary emotional. When I do again, am sure it will be the case still.

Prince Harry’s words speak to me directly. Even though I have never served in the military. Even though our own country isn’t represented among the competing teams at the games.

Prince Harry’s words speak to current affairs in our country. Particularly so, of how actors – men and women in uniform; as well as those in legal wigs, gowns and robes, who are officers of the courts of law and are serving within our country’s justice, law and order sector, conduct themselves.

And how their conduct has significant impact on us, the civilians and citizens, whom they swore to serve and protect, and our daily lives.

Case in point, during the official ceremonial opening of the New Law Year 2025, the disrespectful manner in which Chief Justice Alfonse Chigamoy Owiny-Dollo treated the Uganda Law Society (ULS) and its current President, Senior Counsel Isaac Ssemakadde, left many astounded.

For us, citizens who are actively seeking justice, it left us traumatized.

I mean, Chief Justice Owiny-Dollo brazenly disrespected the ULS President during an annual public event, for which there is an established protocol; and which was televised to the world.

Source: The Independent in an article titled: “Drama as Chief Justice Owniny-Dollo demands apology from ULS President,” and captioned: “Uganda Law Society-ULS President Ssemakadde approaches the Chief Justice Owiny-Dollo Chigamoy to demand an explanation for not being on the list of speakers. The Chief Justice later said he had made the recommendation for the ULS president to be struck off the list of speakers. “You come to someone’s house whom you have been abusing and you demand to speak … only a fool can allow you to speak. I personally told the program manager to remove you from the list of the people to talk.”

What scares us, the civilians and citizens, furthermore, is the audacity that Chief Justice Owiny-Dollo has to personalize a public institution and to use a public event to settle personal scores he has with a leader of another public institution.

We, the jury, the people, came out instantly. The conduct of Chief Justice Owiny-Dollo, in our opinion, is legally questionable. Being the head of the Judiciary, does not make the Judiciary “his house.” It is a public institution for which the ULS is legally mandated to contribute to keeping in check.

Read “Ssemakadde issues scathing open letter to CJ Owiny-Dollo” for insights.

Nevertheless, ULS President Ssemakadde, together with the governing council of the ULS, triumphed and displayed greater moral character in the manner they handled the attempts to humiliate and diminish them on a national stage.

When it happened, they prematurely and peacefully exited the official opening ceremonies and immediately held a press conference. During which the ULS President read the speech, which he was robbed the platform to deliver and in accordance with long established norms.

Read “Speech by the President of the Uganda Law Society at the opening of the New Law Year 2025”

ULS President Ssemakadde is human. It is expected that being disrespected on a national stage, a global stage, in fact, will have a negative traumatic impact on him; psychologically, at the very least.

And so, I gift to him Prince Harry’s words and those that the Prince borrowed from Nobel Laureate Toni Morrison, that I have claimed gifted to me too:

“One of the most powerful ways of healing is from having a sense of purpose, a sense of belonging from being a part of something greater than ourselves … Sometimes, you don’t survive whole. You just survive in part. But the grandeur of life is that attempt. It is not about that solution. It is about being as fearless as one can be. And behaving as beautifully as one can, under completely impossible circumstances.”

Our reality, on matters interaction of citizens with justice, law and order institutions, is we are doing so “under completely impossible circumstances.” This I assert from my own personal on-going experience with the Uganda Police Force, the Directorate of Public Prosecutions and the Judiciary (the Bench).

Read: “US sanctions on Uganda Police Officers” for insights

I cannot but wish, ULS President Ssemakadde, healing. It is through his “Back on Track” Agenda that I and many of our country folk are deriving a sense of belonging and the inspiration to exercise our right to demand for rule of law.

He is invictus. Under his leadership he is bringing back life to the ULS in form of a “Radical New Bar.” By his example, we, the clients of the Bar, are emboldened to become “we are invictus” in our quest for truth and justice.

Senior Counsel Ssemakadde is going down in the history of our country as the ULS President who took his role seriously and conquered. Forever he will be remembered and likened with the great sons of our nation who came before him, and fought for justice and the rule of law.

His name shall be spoken alongside, those of Benedicto Kagimu Mugumba Kiwanuka and Janani Jakaliya Luwum, before him, who embodied the spirit of “we are invictus” and did so “under completely impossible circumstances,” similar to prevailing conditions of his reign current.

His name is included in history among those who bravely spoke truth to power on matters rule of law. With courage they spoke out knowing that they may pay the ultimate price, death.

Read “No apologies, no surrender the Radical New Bar takes the Judiciary to war,” for insights.

He is the man, I choose to profile and celebrate for the second week of Black History Month. And I pray for longevity for Senior Counsel Ssemakadde. May he live long, succeed and not be defeated.

Yes, Prince Harry’s words eloquently capture what I, and I know many in our country, perceive of ULS President Ssemakadde, ULS Vice President President Anthony Asiimwe, and their ULS governing council, as they execute their term of office at the helm of the ULS.

“The values you embody, the way you carry yourselves, each and every day. Your courage, your resilience, your humanity, illuminates a path forward for us all and for that we thank you.”

I say, thank you, to the current ULS leadership for giving us hope. From their conduct and their character, we, legal justice seekers, clients of the Bar, are convinced they have our backs. Are fighting for the rule of law to prevail. And for there to be just and fair dispensation of justice by the Bench.

Thank you, Prince Harry, Duke of Sussex, for your profound contribution to humanity, in word and action.