Yesterday, 14th October 2025, I had the pleasure of listening to the sage that he is, Dr. Livingstone Ssewanyana, the renowned Ugandan human rights and good governance advocate. It was refreshing to listen to a radio talk show well hosted with a guest so articulate and concise in answering all questions put to him.
Ajakait’s excitement could not be mistaken, as she dispensed with the norm of greeting your elder first when you encounter them, especially so early morning. I remind her. Ajakait, slow down, first of all ikwenyut biai, I greet her with the morning Iteso greeting, “how did you wake up.”
Literal meaning similar to the Buganda morning greeting, wasuze otya, (how did you sleep). Or even a bland “Good morning,” would have sufficed. Yes, it is normal for us in Uganda to be multi-lingual, after all, the Constitution of Uganda, recognises 55 first nations of Uganda, each with a language.
And, in addition, the official language of Uganda is English, story for another day.
And so, at any one time, especially in urban ares in Uganda, it is normal for neighbours to be descendants of different first nations. It is amazing how children make every effort to learn each other’s languages as they play.
Anyway, Ajakait’s impatience shines through and she goes:
Konye Ija, okay, ikwenyut biai Ija?
I answer: akwenyunit ejok ika koku (I woke up well my child). Ajakait does not wait for the lengthy greeting exchange that is the norm among most African cultures, including us Iteso. She rushes back to telling me about her learning from the sage, Dr. Ssewanyana.
Dr. Livingstone Ssewanyana, photo @ Foundation for Human Rights Initiative (FHRI)
Ija, it was during “Spectrum” on Radio One FM 90, last evening, hosted by senior journalist Kenneth Anderson Lukwago, that I got a really good civic education. We are in week three of the 2026 election campaigns and Dr. Ssewanyana’s assessment is that, so far, the Electoral Commission (EC) is doing well.
Ija, for me as a disillusioned undecided voter, Dr. Ssewanyana’s assessment took me by surprise.
As to how I am a disillusioned undecided voter, I recommend you read “Letter to President Museveni.” General Salim Saleh, the president’s brother, read it already and he reacted with the following advice to the author: “I would like to humbly award you 63.5% for your article. The remaining 36.5% is very difficult to achieve. Only God can.”
Ija, I digress, back to the point. Dr. Ssewanyana’s assessment of the current performance of the EC has persuaded me to pay attention to the 2026 election campaigns. Are things truly back on track? This time round, will the provisions of the 1995 Constitution which require “free and fair elections” be upheld?
Ija, I am not the only one who is skeptical, one of the listeners’ questions to Dr. Ssewanyana that the host read out on air was:
“Using the seeming troubling relations between the Bar (Uganda Law Society (ULS)) and the Bench (the Judiciary) current, is it realistic to expect that the Electoral Commission can be independent?”
Ija, me I was happy that Dr. Ssewanyana, first all, recognised that there is an on-going “beef between the Bar and the Bench.” He then surmised why so. According to him, “youth are impatient, they want answers,” therefore, it is a “generational issue.”
Ajakait, where are you going with this? Aren’t you mixing issues? What do ULS issues have to do with the national elections? I ask. She answers instantly:
Eeeh, Ija, I thought it would already be obvious to you by now. But let me explain. There are some within the judiciary who are believed performing to the gallery of one, the appointing authority.
And that they hide behind that smokescreen, while allegedly interfering with the Radical New Bar, that is led by the enigmatic and youthful force, that is ULS President Ssemakadde Isaac.
ULS President Ssemakadde Isaac, during ULS presidential campaigns in 2024, which he subsequently won with a record-setting resounding majority.
Apparently, Ija, ebe seeming cowardly judicial officers are allegedly clandestinely dragging the name of the President into the ongoing “beef between ULS and the Judiciary.”
Ija, it had not truly sunk in my mind how constitutionally powerful the President of Uganda is. Dr. Ssewanyana, in answering a question on the Inter-Party Organisation for Dialogue (IPOD) saga, educated me on this. He described Uganda as having a constitutional “imperial presidency,” with “too much power.”
Ija, ebe there are grey areas in which one cannot absolutely argue that the person, for example, the current President, Gen. Yoweri Kagutta Museveni, is not acting within presidential powers enshrined in the Constitution, when he deploys what may seem as “undue influence by the executive” on other arms of Government.
Ija, let me tidy up our conversation, using the second debate of candidates vying to be elected ULS representatives on the Judicial Service Commission (JSC). Bear in mind ija, these are lawyers, advocates, legal learned fellows, who have practiced for decades.
But when the debate host put to them a direct question on matters the law of the land, in answer, the majority of the candidates, 70% of them, wasted their speaking minutes waffling unintelligently and not really answering the question.
Only two of the candidate advocates rendered eloquent and to the point answers to the hypothetical question of what they would do if the President rejected to appoint them subsequent to them being elected by their colleagues and nominated by the ULS. Only two, ija, only two!
“Article 146 is very clear. It is final, fully fledged and self-contained. It doesn’t require any collaboration. How nominees of ULS are appointed was interpreted in the decision of Stephen Kalali versus ULS by Justice Boniface Wamala. It is through elections by members of ULS. That is why we are having this election. In the event Article 146 is abused, if it is not respected, we will see that it is respected to the constitutional command. We should stick to the constitutional command. That is what rule of law requires.” ULS Candidate for JSC, Advocate Paul Mukiibi.
“Let me start by rejecting the premise of the hypothetical question. Since 1995, ULS has nominated and the President has appointed. The premise of that question is an attempt to disrespect the current membership and leadership of ULS. If the President has been picking the JSC representatives that have been nominated by two people, three people, one person, what will stop him from picking the representatives elected by the 5,000 members of ULS? The law is clear. The President has applied that law consistently since 1995. When this law society invited the President of this Country to this ULS House, did he not respect the invitation? If he can respect our invitation, I guarantee you, colleagues, he will respect your nomination. What you do, on the 18th October 2025, wake up, go to Imperial Royale, vote for me and you will see, I will be appointed.” ULS Candidate for JSC, Advocate Elison Karuhanga.
“Article 146. JSC (2): The JSC shall, subject to clause 3 of this article, consist of the following persons who shall be appointed by the President with the approval of Parliament (c): two advocates of not less than 15 years’ standing nominated by ULS.” Constitution of the Republic of Uganda (1995).
Ija, for me, as Ajakait, the success of these historical precedent-setting ULS elections for its representatives to the JSC, which ULS, under leadership of its President Ssemakadde, has pro-actively and vigorously pushed for is key.
It is a good starting point for the Executive to restore faith among Ugandans that constitutionalism and the rule of law prevail in Uganda.
I see your point Ajakait, I say to her. She is obviously pleased that I recognize her labour of love in asserting her right as an active citizen and a client of the Bar to have a say. And to take the time to articulate her views. She lets me know with:
Eyalama Ija, thank you my Ija. Let us wish ULS the very best and pray that wisdom prevails among its membership to elect the rightful representatives to the JSC, who will make it their priority to ensure and assure justice for all. It would be a big win for ULS President Ssemakadde, in particular.
“The fight for doctrinal purity must not be compromised. Simply because we are still under the rotten tomatoes and dead wood in the judiciary. Don’t give up the fight. Lawyers do not give up the fight. It turns out that the most cumbersome conditions, make the finest lawyers … Read more in “Mark my words: Radical New Bar will get legal fraternity back on track,” ULS President Ssemakadde.
Have a blessed day today Ija, thank you for listening to me.
You too Ajakait, be safe and may the spirits of our ancestors protect and watch over you always, I bless her. And she rings off.
Humanist 
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