Uganda Law Society Proposes Supreme Court to Deliver ‘Delayed’ Kazinda Ruling

KAMPALA; The Uganda Law Society (ULS) has appealed to Chief Justice Alfonse Owiny-Dollo and the Justices of the Supreme Court to urgently deliver a long-awaited judgment in a five-year-old constitutional appeal involving the Attorney General and former Office of the Prime Minister Principal Accountant, Geoffrey Kazinda.

In a letter dated December 17, 2025, addressed to the Administrator of the Supreme Court, Justice Lillian Tibatemwa-Ekirikubinza, ULS states that the prolonged delay in delivering the judgment has resulted in the continued illegal detention of Kazinda, who has been incarcerated at Luzira Upper Prison since October 2012.

The letter, signed by ULS Vice President Anthony Asiimwe, follows persistent pleas from Kazinda, his lawyers, and family members, who have repeatedly complained about delayed justice in the matter.

Both the Law Society and Kazinda’s family have expressed concern that Chief Justice Owiny-Dollo, who led a panel of six Justices that heard the petition, is expected to retire in about one month upon attaining the mandatory retirement age of 70 years.

The Law Society fears that if the Chief Justice exits office before delivering the judgment, it may take a considerable time to reconstitute another panel to handle the petition, causing further delays.

Kazinda’s legal troubles date back to June 2013, when he was convicted by the High Court on charges including embezzlement and forgery and sentenced to eight years’ imprisonment.

However, those convictions and sentences were later overturned by the Court of Appeal in separate criminal appeals decided in his favour.

he Law Society further notes that in August 2020, the Constitutional Court ruled that Kazinda had been subjected to continuous and unlawful prosecutions arising from the same allegations. The court then ordered for his immediate discharge in all pending cases and barred the State from prosecuting him on the same matters.

The Attorney General, dissatisfied with the ruling, successfully applied for a stay of execution pending an appeal to the Supreme Court.

The Attorney General’s appeal was first heard in November 2021 and later re-heard in July last year after the panel was reconstituted following the death and retirement of some Justices.

To date, judgment has not been delivered in the said appeal.

The Uganda Law Society now says Kazinda remains in custody solely because the Supreme Court has not issued its decision after his acquittal discharge by appellate courts.