By The Uganda Law Society (ULS) has formally abandoned its long-standing tradition of political neutrality and issued an executive order endorsing opposition candidates for the 2026 General Elections, citing what it described as a collapse of constitutionalism, judicial independence and the rule of law.
In an Executive Order signed by ULS President Isaac Kimaze Ssemakadde, the Society announced its official endorsement of National Unity Platform (NUP) presidential candidate Robert Kyagulanyi Ssentamu, Kampala Lord Mayor Erias Lukwago, Dr Obuku Ekwaru Anthony for Oyam South constituency, and all candidates fielded by NUP and the People’s Front for Freedom (PFF) at presidential, parliamentary and local government levels.
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The decision, issued in consultation with the Radical New Bar (RNB) Governing Council, marks the first time the ULS has openly aligned itself with specific political candidates in a national election.
In the order, the Society said political neutrality had become untenable in the face of what it termed excessive militarization of civilian life, entrenched corruption and impunity, and the capture of state institutions, including the judiciary.
The ULS accused the current administration of normalizing repression and using state security institutions to suppress dissent through abductions, torture, extrajudicial killings and the trial of civilians in military courts.
The document further alleges that the judiciary has been systematically undermined through coercion, manipulated rulings and irregular judicial postings, eroding public confidence in the justice system and threatening the independence of the legal profession.
“The legal profession will no longer stand idle while the rule of law is extinguished,” the order states.
The Society said Uganda requires a “total political reset,” calling for the demilitarization of civilian affairs, restoration of captured institutions, an end to abductions and sham trials, and the establishment of a government accountable under the 1995 Constitution.
As part of its directive, the ULS called upon all lawyers, law students, civil society organizations and what it termed “patriotic Ugandans” to mobilize in support of the endorsed candidates. The Society said it would deploy its resources, within the law, to educate the public on what it described as the historic significance of the 2026 elections.
The order further urges voters to cast their ballots and remain within the legally permitted 20-metre vicinity of polling stations to observe voting and counting, with the stated aim of safeguarding the interests of the endorsed candidates.
The executive order takes immediate effect and will remain in force until the conclusion of the 2026 General Elections or until revoked by lawful authority.
The move is expected to provoke significant debate within legal, political and civil society circles over the role of professional bodies in electoral politics and the implications for institutional independence.
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