Elison Karuhanga, a senior lawyer and long time ally of the Uganda Law Society (ULS) president Isaac Ssemakadde has publicly broken ranks with him, warning that the bar association risks losing its legitimacy if it abandons political neutrality.
In a strongly worded opinion article, Karuhanga argues that the ULS must remain neutral and should not endorse any political candidate or party, saying such a move would be unlawful, dangerous and corrosive to the institution’s credibility.
Karuhanga’s position directly contradicts recent remarks by Ssemakadde, who said the ULS had endorsed Robert Kyagulanyi, the president of the National Unity Platform, ahead of the 2026 general elections. The comments sparked debate within the legal fraternity, with some lawyers welcoming the stance as progressive while others warned it politicised a statutory body.
Writing in the opinion piece, Karuhanga says the Law Society is a creature of statute whose powers are limited to what is expressly provided for in law. He argues that endorsing political candidates is not among those powers and cannot be implied from the society’s mandate.
“The moment a bar association becomes a partisan actor, it surrenders its independence and transforms from a guardian of the law for all into an agent for some,” Karuhanga writes. He adds that neutrality is not mere politeness or decorum but the essential discipline through which institutional power is restrained.
Karuhanga relies on both Ugandan law and international standards, including principles set out by the International Bar Association, to argue that professional independence exists to protect the public and democracy, not to advance partisan interests. He warns that once neutrality is sacrificed, the society’s interventions will be dismissed as political and its authority weakened.
The opinion is particularly striking because Karuhanga and Ssemakadde have until now been seen as close allies within the ULS. Karuhanga has been a visible supporter of Ssemakadde’s leadership and is currently seeking to represent the ULS on the Judicial Service Commission, a powerful body that oversees the appointment and discipline of judges.
Karuhanga acknowledges that lawyers, including those who lead the ULS, are entitled to personal political views. However, he draws a sharp distinction between individual expression and the use of institutional power to advance a political cause, especially within a compulsory professional body to which all practising lawyers must belong.
He warns that allowing the ULS to endorse a candidate supported by most members would still silence dissenting lawyers and coerce them into an association with a political position they may reject.
Invoking historical and philosophical references, Karuhanga argues that the rule of law is best protected when institutions resist the temptation to trade principle for perceived short term gain. He concludes that the executive order endorsing a political candidate was illegal, improper and institutionally destructive, and should not be allowed to stand.
Karuhanga’s view adds to growing debate within the legal community over the direction of the ULS under Ssemakadde’s leadership, and whether activism risks crossing into partisanship at a critical moment in Uganda’s heated political cycle.
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