By Isaac Ssemakadde
As our ‘BACK ON TRACK’ campaign for the soul and presidency of Uganda Law Society (ULS) reaches its climax, baseless allegations have surfaced, attempting to tarnish my reputation. These vague accusations rely on cowardly insinuations rather than facts.
Whereas I cannot respond to all my detractors due to time pressure, my campaign advisors insist that I should address a cynical hit piece “Battle for ULS presidency heats up as MUK, LDC ghosts return to haunt Ssemakadde”, in which the “Red Pepper Intelligence Unit”, “The Ankole Times” and “Hannington Mbabazi of The Capital Times” failed to specify the alleged administrative challenges during my tenure as president of Makerere Law Society (MLS), instead hiding behind ambiguous phrases.
They also repeated a malicious lie once peddled by the Law Development Centre (LDC). None of the bloggers sought my comment prior to posting.
MLS Allegations
The truth is, my tenure as MLS president (2005-2006) was marked by excellence. In collaboration with the Human Rights and Peace Centre then led by Dr Joe Oloka-Onyango, I secured a four-year grant worth $63,577.21 from the Norwegian aid agency (NORAD) to promote continued involvement of law students in governance and civil society issues.
I successfully represented MLS at various national and international conferences appointed the quintessential scholar of our age, now Dr Timothy Kyepa, who rescued the then defunct Makerere Law Journal and fostered high-impact partnerships with prestigious organizations such as the Nigerian High Commission (which renewed its support for the Annual Sir Udo Udoma Symposium after a three-year hiatus), the Danish Association for International Co-operation (MS Uganda), ActionAid International Uganda (then led by the charismatic Ms Amanda Serumaga), and of course Friedrich-Ebert-Stiftung (FES), the German political foundation which was the subject of the bloggers’ wild speculation.
FES continued to support my initiatives beyond my MLS presidency,* demonstrating their confidence in my leadership. In 2010, FES admitted a gifted intern who I had recommended into their Youth Leadership Training programme then led by Mr Henry Kasacca.
He is now a UN employee in Malawi and my co-director at Legal Brains Trust and Centre for Legal Aid.
In 2015, FES, then led by the amiable Ms Mareike Le Pelley, supported the launch of our Open Parliament Initiative (OPI) as part of activities to commemorate the International Right to Information Day.
In a high-level stakeholders’ meeting convened at Imperial Royale Hotel, we reflected on the implications of the High Court decision in Sulaiman Kakaire v. Parliamentary Commission, Miscellaneous Cause No. 232 of 2013. Prof Joe Oloka-Onyango delivered the keynote address.
OPI’s purpose is to deepen democracy by bridging the gap between citizens and elected representatives.
This is presently continued through two cases for increasing parliamentary transparency, namely Legal Brains Trust (LBT) v Attorney General, EACJ Reference No 15 of 2020, and LBT, Simon Kaggwa Njala & Sulaiman Kakaire v Attorney General, Supreme Court Constitutional Appeal No 6 of 2024 a positive verdict in either case will ensure that there are more opportunities for government policies and decisions to be debated, scrutinized, and subjected to public opinion.
It is regrettable that the bloggers’ false accusations unfairly questioned not only my leadership but also Dr Sylvia Tamale’s judgment as Dean of Law during my tenure. I demand an apology for this unwarranted attack.
LDC Allegations
The regurgitation of debunked allegations made against me by the Law Development Centre (LDC) more than ten years ago is a desperate smokescreen: a thinly veiled attempt to discredit me and shut the door on my spirited advocacy against that moribund institution and its gatekeepers inside the NRM government.
The notion that I sat the inaugural LDC bar course pre-entry exams for an applicant without being recognized is laughable, especially considering my established reputation even at that time as a former MLS president, social critic, Advocate of the High Court of Uganda and public interest litigant.
Moreover, three of my interns at Legal Brains Trust were part of the 1000-plus cohort of applicants whose pre-entry exam was administered by Law Council at the UMA Multipurpose Hall in Lugogo.
The genesis of these allegations lies in a fictitious whistleblower report, which was crafted sometime in 2011/2012 by those who constantly seek to maintain their grip on power through underhand methods like damaging the careers of their youthful rivals.
To my surprise, it was swiftly and secretively endorsed by a “forensic investigation” committee of so-called experts including two senior lecturers at the Makerere University School of Law, Dr Rose Nakayi and Dr Ronald Kakungulu-Mayambala.
However, when their “forensic investigation report” was presented to a second LDC committee comprising three reputable jurists, namely retired judge Augustus Kania, Prof Frederick Jjuuko and former chairperson of the Uganda Human Rights Commission, Hon Margaret Sekaggya, it was thrown out, the citing lack of jurisdiction.
Instead of heeding the guidance of the troika and absolving me immediately, a third LDC committee presided over by Dr Pamela Tibihikirwa-Kalyegira, with former ULS president James Mark Sebugenyi acting as its “Counsel”, unsuccessfully tried to continue the farce.
They eventually recommended me to the Law Council “for disciplinary action” despite a glaring lack of jurisdiction and evidence. They would both later receive sinecures from the NRM regime.
Sebugenyi became the ruling party’s Legal Director, while Pamela became chairperson of the Uganda Law Reform Commission and later director of LDC without following due process.
In a letter dated 4 September 2024, the Law Council secretary Ms Margret Nabakooza informed the chairperson of the ULS Elections Committee that “Mr Isaac Kimaze Ssemakadde has not been convicted of an offence by the Law Council.”
She also clarified that the Law Council is “not aware of any complaint against me” except the Chief Registrar’s allegations of a post on X (formerly Twitter) which an unnamed judge “deemed an abuse.”
This letter made it categorically clear that LDC’s putative complaint against me is void.
Needless to say, I am a victim of a targeted witch-hunt aimed at silencing my advocacy for justice. My dedication to fighting for Uganda’s soul, rather than personal gain, has made me a target.
The vicious pursuit has continued even after the Law Council dismissed my LDC-fabricated case.
But I will not be silenced. I will not be intimidated. I urge fellow rebels to see through the smokescreen and recognise the baseless allegations for what they Stand with me in demanding transparency and accountability from institutions, and join the fight for justice, human rights, and the rule of law.
Together, we can dismantle oppressive structures, build a radical change movement, and create a better Uganda where justice reigns supreme.
The writer, is the executive director of Legal Brains Trust, and a candidate for presidency of the Uganda Law Society in elections slated for 28 September 2024.