High Court Judge Olive Kazaarwe Mukwaya has been elected the new Uganda Judicial Officers Association (UJOA) president.

Mukwaya sailed through unopposed during the association’s annual general meeting that was held at Hotel Africana on Saturday.

She replaces High Court Judge Tadeo Asiimwe who has headed the association for two terms.

Mukwaya became the first female president of the association which was founded in 1970.

 During the same annual general meeting, Fort Portal grade one magistrate Daphne Ayebare was also elected unopposed as the Vice President of the association.

Chief Justice Alfonse Owiny-Dollo congratulating Justice Catherine Bamugemeirere after her election as representative of the Supreme Court on UJOA executive on Saturday.

Other executive members voted in unopposed include grade magistrate Conrad Obol Oroya, the general secretary, grade one magistrate Praise Ahurira, the deputy general secretary, senior grade one magistrate Christine Turibamwe, the treasurer and grade one magistrate Lilian Mazimwe, the deputy treasurer.

Others are Patrick Synclaire Akoko, the publicity secretary, and Mallen Obizu, the deputy publicity secretary.

Justice Catherine Bamugemereire was elected as the Supreme Court representative, Justice Oscar Kihika for the Court of Appeal, Justice Celia Nagawa for the High Court, Sarah Tusiime Bashaija for registrars, Moses Nabende for Chief Magistrates, William Muwonge for Magistrates Grade one and John Stephen Waidhuba for grade two magistrates.

High Court judge Michael Elubu presided over the elections.

Chief Justice Alfonse Owiny-Dollo, the UJOA patron congratulated both the new and old executives for achieving such milestones in their careers.

He implored them to work towards improving the image of the Judiciary.

“I encourage you to report the challenges you are confronted with so that they can be worked on. We are having a new Judiciary whose agenda is to ensure justice for all,” Owiny-Dollo said.

Chief Registrar Sarah Langa called for unity and cooperation between UJOA and the Judiciary's top management.  

Who is Mukwaya

Mukwaya, currently a judge at the Land Division of the High Court, has 25 years of legal experience. She joined the Judiciary in 2000 as magistrate grade one and in 2008 she was elevated to the rank of senior magistrate grade one.

In 2009, she served as the personal assistant to the retired deputy Chief Justice Laetitia Mukasa Kikonyogo.

She was later promoted to the level of Chief Magistrate in 2010. In 2014, she was posted to the Inspectorate of Courts as an acting Assistant Registrar before she was assigned to manage the Danish International Development Agency (DANIDA) project.

Under the Project, she directly supervised the implementation of a number of Judiciary development programs and Access to Justice Initiatives.

In 2017, she was transferred to the Commercial Division of the High Court as deputy registrar and it was while there that she was assigned to the Commission of Inquiry into Land Matters as Commission Secretary.

Kazaarwe is also the vice president of the International Association of Women Judges of Uganda.

Kazaarwe was appointed a judge of the High Court on February 7, 2018.