Museveni appoints seven new judges

 

By Anthony Wesaka By Betty Ndagire

President Museveni has appointed seven new judges to the High Court and Court of Appeal/ Constitutional Court.

“In the exercise of the powers vested in the President by Article 142 (1) of the 1995 Constitution,I have, acting on the advice of the Judicial Service Commission, appointed persons listed below as justices of the Appeal and Judges of the High Court, respectively,” read in part an August 13 appointment letter by Mr Museveni.

Prominent among them is Florence Nakachwa, who is being appointed to the Bench from Law Development Centre (LDC) where she had been the deputy director.

Others appointed to the High Court are Tom Chemutai (registrar of Supreme Court), Lawrence Tweyanze (registrar), Vincent Wagona (from DPP’s office) and Alice Komuhangi (from DPP’s office).

Those appointed to the Court of Appeal/ Constitutional Court are Eva Luswata Kavuma (she has been a High Court judge) and Gashirabake Christopher (deputy Solicitor General in the Justice ministry).

The appointment of five judges of the High Court, now brings the total number of High Court judges to 62 though the approved structure is 82.

Likewise, the appointment of two justices to the Court of Appeal/ Constitutional Court now brings the number of the justices to 15.

The appointed judges now await the approval by Parliament’s appointments committee headed by the Speaker.

In a related development, President Museveni has appointed three registrars of the Courts of Judicature. They include Flavia Nabakooza, Kaitesi Kisaakye Mary, and Rosemary Bareebe.

Eva Kawuma Luswata

At the time of her appointment as Court of Appeal/ Constitutional Court judge, she was a judge of the High Court at Jinja with 29 years of legal experience.

Born on February 12, 1967, Justice Luswata began her legal career as a legal assistant with Mulira & Co Advocates between 1992 and 1996. She later became a partner with Kakooza & Kawuma Advocates between 1996 and 2013.

She was appointed to the High Court in 2013.

She studied her Bachelor of Laws from Makerere University and graduated in 1990. She later joined the LDC and graduated in 1991.

Justice Luswata is also a graduate of Master’s Degree in Human Rights and Democratisation in Africa from the University of Pretoria in South Africa.

Lawrence Tweyanze

Born in 1968, the High Court judge designate was the deputy registrar of the Courts of Judicature.

Mr Tweyanze has a progressive legal/ judicial career officer for the last 20 years. He joined the Judiciary in 2008 as the registrar International Crimes Division of the High Court.

He was later in 2010 appointed as chief magistrate, then later as assistant registrar, and then as a child protection officer in 2017 with Bor Jongiel United Nations Mission in South Sudan.

Little is known about his education background but he studied from Makerere University where he pursed a Bachelor’s Degree in Law between 1994 and 1997.

Between 1998 and 1999, he studied post graduate diploma in legal practice from the LDC.

He later in 2003 went to Copenhagen Business School where he studied a Diploma in Law and Justice.  The High Court judge-designate also studied Master’s in Management Studies at Uganda Management Institute between 2014 and 2016.

Florence Nakachwa

Prior to her appointment as High Court designate, Ms Nakachwa had been the deputy director at the Law Development Centre.

Born in 1964, the mother of six started her education at Loro where she sat her Primary Leaving Examination in 1979, then joined Sacred Heart Gulu for her O-Level until 1983 before joining Trinity College Nabingo for her A-Level studies.

The 57-year-old then joined Makerere University for a Bachelor of Law from where she graduated in 1990.

Ms Nakachwa later enrolled at the LDC for her post graduate course in legal practice in 1991.

Between 1997 and 1998, she enrolled for a Master’s in Law at the University of the West Indies. She also enrolled for a post graduate certificate in Basic Research Methods.

Previously, she worked at LDC as an associate principal lecturer and also as assistant lecturer.

Christopher Gashirabake

Born in 1960, the 61-year-old Court of Appeal/ Constitutional Court designate prior to his appointment was the deputy Solicitor General.  He began his education at Seseme Integrated School in Kosoro District where he sat his Primary Leaving Examinations (PLE) in 1974, then later joined Kigezi College where he sat his O-Level examinations before joining Namilyango College for A-Level studies.

He then joined Makerere University for the Bachelor of Laws between 1981 and 84.

In 1984, he joined LDC and graduated the following year with a Post Graduated Diploma in legal practice.

Previously, he worked as an immigration officer, then State attorney and senior state attorney. He was later promoted to the rank of principal state attorney and then director.

Vincent Wagona

He was born on April 7, 1966.

At the time of his appointment, Mr Wagona was deputy Director of Public Prosecutions.

He studied from St Peter’s College Tororo for both his O-Level and A-Levels before joining Makerere University for a Bachelor’s in Law between 1986 and 1989.

He later joined LDC for his post graduate diploma in legal practice and later joined Esami for a Master’s degree in Business Administration.

His worked as a state attorney, senior state attorney, and trial attorney senior assistant DPP, and Deputy DPP.

Tom Chemutai

Born in 1966, the 55-year-old High Court judge designate was a registrar attached to the Supreme Court.

The father of four sat his Primary Leaving Examinations in 1980 in Kapchorwa Primary School, he then joined Sebei SS for his O-Level education between 1981 and 1984.

He later joined St Peter’s College Tororo for his A-Level education between 1985 and 1987. Between 1987 and 1990, he enrolled for a Bachelor of Laws degree at Makerere University and later joined the LDC for his post graduate diploma in legal practice.

He later returned to Makerere University for a Master’s Degree in Law where he graduated in 2016.

Justice Chemutai is a career judicial officer who joined the Judiciary as a grade one magistrate in 1995. He was later promoted to chief magistrate and later to acting chief registrar.

Earlier, he was the personal assistant to the Chief Justice and also as the assistant revenue officer with the Uganda Revenue Authority (URA).

Alice Komuhangi

Born in 1975, the 46-year-old appointee was the deputy Director of Public Prosecutions.

The mother of four started her education at Immaculate Heart Girls Nyakibale where she sat her Ordinary Level exams in 1991.

Ms Komuhangi returned to the same school for A-Level until 1994. 

She then joined Makerere University for Bachelor of Laws degree and graduated in 1998 before joining the LDC and graduated with a post graduate diploma in legal practice in 1999.

She then went back to Makerere University for a Master’s degree in Laws and graduated in 2016 and also in 2018.

She also pursued a Master’s degree in institutional management at Uganda Management Institute.

Ms Komuhangi began her prosecutorial work in 2003 when she was appointed the senior state attorney.

She was later promoted to principal state attorney, senior principal state attorney and senior assistant DPP.