Donatila
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- Oct 23, 2014
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President Yoweri Museveni has appealed to judges to desist from engaging in corruption if they are to uphold the integrity and reputation of the judiciary.
Museveni was speaking at State House Entebbe while swearing in 11 of the 16 newly appointed judges. Museveni said the only way Ugandans will have trust in the judiciary is by the judges exemplifying the highest degree of respect of their judicial oaths to dispense justice without fear or favour.
“My appeal is that you should come with the intension of upholding the reputation of the court system among the population. The population must trust you knowing that once a matter goes to the court the judge will decide on it without bias or corruption,” Museveni said.
To do this, Museveni said there is need for support from all stakeholders but as the support comes in, Museveni added, the judges must make sure they are playing their role.
Museveni also said that the judiciary must also address the colonial rigidities sometimes which get in the way of justice.
“What is more important; procedure or substance, legal ritual or customer satisfaction? Sometime you hear the procedure says this but don’t people have eyes to see beyond procedure and see substance?” Museveni said.
Museveni also said he was very happy that increasingly the judiciary is being taken over by young people.
“When you hear of names like Tuhaise [Percy Tuhaise appointed Court of Appeal Justice] they are recent; they are not our traditional names which were quarrelsome so you can tell from the names that these are NRM generation. I’m very happy to see the young judges come up. It’s pleasing to see the evolution of these institutions,”
For his part the chief justice Bart Katureebe called on the judges to uphold their oaths and dispense justice without bias.
“Welcome to life in glass bottle, I urge you to think very deeply about the oath you have taken today most importantly the oath to do justice to all manner of people. People increasingly expect nothing less of high moral integrity. People must trust us and must trust our integrity,” Katureebe said.
He thanked the president for appointing new judges but said the numbers are still low to manage the work at hand
Museveni the latecomer
As is always the case, the president was expected at 1pm but it wasn’t until 3.30pm that he showed up.
“I must apologise because the program was delayed I was commissioning a barracks of the SFC [Special Forces Command] but I knew you were comfortable here; it’s not bad place,” Museveni said.
Two judges; Richard Butera and Paul Mugamba were appointed as justices of the Supreme Court; Steven Musota, Christopher Izama Adrama, Percy Night Tuhaise and Ezekiel Kurabiraho Muhanguzi justices of the Court of Appeal.
Paul Gadenya Walimbwa, Alex Makay Ajiji, Coneria Kakooza Sabiti, Tadeo Asiimwe, Olive Kazarwe Mukwaya, Janefrancis Abodo, Musa Ssekaana, Joyce Kavuma, Emmanuel Baguma and Richard Wejuli Wabwire were appointed as judges of the High court.
Source: The Observer