Courts to close Friday for Benedicto Kiwanuka memorial lecture

KAMPALA - Courts across the country will close this Friday, September 19, as the Judiciary hosts the 8th memorial lecture in honour of former Chief Justice Benedicto Kiwanuka.

Kiwanuka, Uganda’s first Chief Justice, was abducted from his chambers at the High Court in Kampala on September 21, 1972, and later murdered. His burial site remains unknown.

His killing has been linked to an order he issued for the release of a British national, Daniel Stewart, who had been held incommunicado. The directive is believed to have angered then-President Idi Amin, leading to Kiwanuka’s murder.

Speaking to the media on Tuesday, September 16, 2025, Supreme Court Judge Catherine Bamugemereire, the deputy chairperson of the organising committee, explained that the Judiciary chose to hold the lecture on Friday since September 21, the day of his abduction, falls on a Sunday this year.

Bamugemereire said President Yoweri Museveni has been invited as the chief guest at the event.

She emphasised that the commemoration gives the Judiciary a chance to reflect on Kiwanuka’s lasting legacy in the administration of justice in Uganda.

“Benedicto Kiwanuka memorial lecture is not only about honouring his legacy, but it is also a way in which the Judiciary, a self-reflecting body, is able to check itself to make sure that we remind ourselves of our heroes that paid the ultimate price in the defence of the rule of law and independence of the Judiciary,” Justice Bamugemereire noted.

She added that the lecture serves as a clarion call for judicial officers to uphold the values of justice with courage and integrity.

“We therefore invite the public to stand with us in honouring his legacy,” Justice Bamugemereire said.

Former Uganda Law Society (ULS) president Francis Gimara has been invited as the keynote speaker.

Kiwanuka’s inaugural memorial lecture was held on September 21, 2018, and the Judiciary has since commemorated the day annually.