The Uganda Law Society Endorses Opposition for the first time, breaking its long-standing tradition of political neutrality. The society’s decision comes in response to what it calls the collapse of the rule of law, judicial independence, and constitutional governance in Uganda.
Isaac Ssemakadde, president of the Uganda Law Society (ULS), issued a statement on December 21. He said conditions in the country have worsened, making neutrality an impossible position. “The excessive militarisation of civilian and political life, the entrenched culture of corruption and impunity, and the total capture of state institutions, including the judiciary, under the Museveni/NRM regime have reached a point where neutrality equates to complicity,” he stated.
This marks a historic shift for the ULS, which has traditionally stayed neutral, focusing instead on protecting the legal profession’s independence. Under this new directive, the ULS endorsed National Unity Platform (NUP) leader Robert Kyagulanyi Ssentamu as its preferred presidential candidate. It also supported Erias Lukwago for re-election as Kampala Lord Mayor and Dr. Obuku Ekwaro for the Oyam South parliamentary seat.
The society didn’t stop at individual candidates. It backed all NUP and People’s Front for Freedom (PFF) candidates at every level of government. The ULS also voiced support for lawyers and law students running for any elective office.
Ssemakadde explained that Uganda’s security agencies have repressed dissent, including abductions, torture, extrajudicial killings, and unlawful trials in military courts. He also criticized the government for weakening judicial independence, the judiciary had become a “rubber stamp of militarism and political repression” rather than an independent body of justice.
He expressed deep concern for the safety of lawyers, journalists, and activists. “Lawyers, journalists, citizens, and activists are routinely intimidated, arrested, or disappeared for upholding constitutional rights,” he said.
The ULS condemned the ruling NRM’s “decades-long normalization of impunity” and its “over-militarization of politics.” The society said the regime had transformed state protection instruments into tools of repression, eroding public trust in the law.
In his statement, Ssemakadde called for a “total political reset.” This includes demilitarizing civilian life, freeing captured institutions, ending abductions, and ensuring accountability under the 1995 Constitution.
Ssemakadde urged ULS members, law students, civil society groups, and citizens to mobilize in support of the endorsed candidates. The society also pledged to use its resources to educate the public on the importance of the 2026 elections. He encouraged voters to stay near polling stations to protect the election process.
“This Executive Order takes immediate effect and shall remain in force until the conclusion of the 2026 general elections,” he said. He concluded by asserting that the legal profession would no longer stand by while the rule of law is extinguished. “The 2026 elections are our moment to reclaim our nation and restore professional dignity,” he added.
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