Judiciary to hold Benedicto Kiwanuka lecture Wednesday
While the judiciary has been observing the memorial lecture on September 21 every year since 2018, the Deputy Chief Justice Moses Kazibwe Kawumi said during a press conference on Tuesday (September 15) that they have opted to hold it on September 16 due to unavoidable circumstances.
Deputy Chief Justice Moses Kazibwe Kawumi speaking during the press conference. (Photo by Mpalanyi Ssentongo)
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The Judiciary will, on Wednesday, September 16, 2026, hold the 9th lecture in memory of former Chief Justice Benedicto Kiwanuka.
While the judiciary has been observing the memorial lecture on September 21 every year since 2018, the Deputy Chief Justice Moses Kazibwe Kawumi said during a press conference on Tuesday (September 15) that they have opted to hold it on September 16 due to unavoidable circumstances.
“The commemoration is ordinarily associated with September 21, the anniversary of the day Kiwanuka was abducted from his chambers at the High Court in 1972, and was never seen alive again. However, this year, the memorial lecture will be held on September 16, 2026, because of unavoidable circumstances beyond our control,” Kawumi said.
Deputy Chief Justice Moses Kazibwe Kawumi speaking during the press conference. (Photo by Mpalanyi Ssentongo)
Underscoring the importance of the lecture, Kawumi said the lecture is more than an act of remembrance, but a national forum for reflection and dialogue on judicial independence, human rights, the rule of law and the administration of justice.
“It brings together the three arms of the Government, justice Kiwanuka’s family, the legal fraternity, institutions under the administration of justice programme, the diplomatic community, development partners, civil society organisations and members of the public,” Kawumi said.
Chief Registrar Agnes Alum said they expect President Yoweri Museveni to preside over the event.
Kiwanuka served as a Chief Justice of Uganda from June 27, 1971, until his abduction on September 21, 1972.
He was the first Ugandan to hold the office of the Chief Justice, and he remains one of the most significant figures in the history of Uganda’s judiciary.
He is remembered for his commitment to truth, justice, impartiality, judicial independence, rule of law and the protection of fundamental rights and freedoms.
His abduction and subsequent murder is linked to an order, which he issued requiring the security forces to produce a British national, who had been held incommunicado.