By Aggry Baba
Hon. Robert Kyagulanyi Ssentamu (Bobi Wine), the President of Uganda’s leading opposition political party, National Unity Platform (NUP) has called on Ugandan lawyers to play a stronger role in defending justice and human rights.
He made the remarks on Tuesday, while speaking as chief guest on an event organised by the Uganda Law Society (ULS) at their offices in Kamwokya.
Kyagulanyi, who recently became a lawyer, shared how it was a childhood dream that he only achieved in his 40s due to a difficult background.
He said this showed the need for the government to support its people so that everyone has a fair chance at life. In his speech, he sharply criticized the Ugandan judiciary for what he described as fear and silence in the face of injustice.
The former Kyadondo East legislator accused judges of using legal theories like the ‘Political Question Doctrine’ and the ‘Substantiality Test’ to avoid holding the government accountable, especially during election petitions.
“Even when judges see clear signs of election rigging, they still say it wasn’t ‘substantial’ enough to change the result. But we all know that no one rigs for fun. It’s done to win,” Kyagulanyi said.
The NUP leader added that such rulings help protect military rule and allow human rights abuses to continue unchecked.
Kyagulanyi urged lawyers to use their training to defend justice and protect the people, warning that when the law protects power instead of citizens, no one is truly safe. He referred to the late Chief Justice Ben Kiwanuka as a reminder of the dangers of ignoring justice.
“We need a country where the law serves the people, not the powerful,” he said.
