By Human rights lawyer and Uganda Law Society President Isaac Kimaze Ssemakadde has issued a rare public statement as he observes Father’s Day in enforced exile, highlighting what he describes as “judicial inertia” and institutional failure within Uganda’s legal system.
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In a letter dated June 13, 2025, addressed to the Head of the Civil Division of the High Court, Hon. Justice Joyce Kavuma, Ssemakadde formally requested her recusal from his application for a stay of execution of an arrest warrant, citing bias and excessive delay in handling the case.
“You have condemned me to forced exile of more than six months!” the letter reads, noting that the court’s recent adjournment to August 19, 2025, has caused him severe personal, professional, and emotional harm.
According to the letter, the delay has significantly impacted his family life, professional obligations, and tenure as US president. He specifically mentions missing his daughter’s birth, his son’s high school graduation, and other family milestones, saying the judicial process has taken a “substantial toll.”
The matter stems from a warrant in HCMA No. 137 of 2025 – Isaac Kimaze Ssemakadde v. Hashim Mugisha Hashim, a case whose details remain under restricted access.
Ssemakadde’s plea references Articles 28(1), 31(4), 38, and 126(2)(b) of the Constitution, arguing that the court’s delay violates principles of fairness and justice. He also cites a recent Constitutional Court precedent (Galandi v. Attorney General, Petition 4 of 2021) which condemned undue judicial delay as a breach of natural justice.
In an emotional Father’s Day message released alongside the update, Ssemakadde said:
“A homestead without its keeper gathers weeds. This Father’s Day, I strongly urge everyone to consider the impact of judicial inertia and institutional decadence, fueled by corruption, incompetence, and arrogance, on lawyering and fatherhood in Uganda.”
He called on fellow legal professionals and the Greater Masaka Bar to join him in advocating for “radical surgery of the judiciary” and the independence of the legal profession. He confirmed he is on an indefinite social media break and fasting on this symbolic day.
The letter has been officially received and stamped by both KBW Advocates and Neal Advocates, indicating it was formally submitted to the relevant judicial authorities on June 13.
Ssemakadde further requested that the Principal Judge reassign the case to a different judicial officer for expedited handling before court recess begins on July 15, emphasizing the urgency of protecting his liberty and professional obligations.
