The Uganda Law Society (ULS) has acted against High Court Judge Musa Ssekaana, citing serious allegations of misconduct, including abuse of power, judicial bias, and intimidation.
As part of its response, the ULS has revoked the “Excellence from the Bench” award previously conferred on Judge Ssekaana in 2021 and issued a directive for all its members to boycott him for one month.
In an Executive Order issued on December 15 by the ULS President Isaac Ssemakadde, the ULS accused Judge Ssekaana of no fewer than 18 instances of misconduct, describing his behavior as a violation of judicial integrity and the principles of impartiality.
Among the allegations leveled against him are claims that he abused his position to secure special privileges for relatives and friends, ignored established legal frameworks, presided over cases with conflicts of interest, and used his office to intimidate advocates and court users.
The society stated that such behavior not only undermines public trust in the judiciary but also erodes the foundational values of justice.
The ULS further criticized the Principal Judge for failing to take action against Judge Ssekaana despite repeated complaints over the years, saying this inaction has emboldened misconduct.
To address the matter, the ULS has directed the Judicial Service Commission to expedite investigations into the complaints lodged against Judge Ssekaana dating back to 2018 and publish its findings no later than January 15, 2025.
As part of its mandate to protect judicial integrity, the ULS ordered Judge Ssekaana to return the revoked award and remove all references to it from his personal and professional materials, including his website and CV. The society warned its members that failure to adhere to the boycott would result in disciplinary action.
A review meeting has been scheduled before January 31, 2025, to assess the effectiveness of the boycott and evaluate the judiciary’s overall performance for the year 2024.
This move by the ULS comes in the wake of a High Court ruling that blocked its planned extraordinary general meeting and elections originally slated for December 17, 2024.
The ruling, delivered by none other than Judge Ssekaana himself, arose from a legal challenge filed by Hashim Mugisha, a ULS member who questioned the legality of the meeting and the circumstances under which certain posts had fallen vacant.
In his ruling, Judge Ssekaana argued that the extraordinary general meeting was designed to “perpetuate alleged illegalities” and asserted that maintaining the status quo was essential to uphold justice and fair play.
He also cited significant harm caused by the suspension of Phillip Munaabi, the ULS Secretary and Central Region representative, describing the damage as “serious and material.”
The judge ordered the immediate reinstatement of both Munaabi and another council member, Geoffrey Turyamusiima, pending the resolution of the main case.
