ARTICLE · 27 MAY 2025

Uganda's Judiciary: Curbing Executive Overreach

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The Ugandan judiciary continues to assert its role as a vital check on executive authority, upholding the rule of law.

UgandaGovernment, Public Sector

Phillip Karugaba

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The Ugandan judiciary continues to assert its role as a vital check on executive authority, upholding the rule of law. Two recent High Court decisions, one by Justice Karemani against Dr. Sam Mayanja and another by Justice Boniface Wamala against State House legal officer Sandra Ndyomugyenyi, demonstrate this courageous commitment. Both cases addressed executive interference in land disputes already settled by courts.

These rulings quashed the decisions made by the errant officials, reinforcing the separation of powers under Uganda's Constitution and ensuring executive actions do not override judicial decisions. Justice Wamala was stern in drawing the boundaries between the executive and legislative functions of government. He stated, "An officer in the Legal Department of State House... has no power to make a legal provision having the force of law; since this falls within the ambit of the Legislature."

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