Kenyans praise Uganda judiciary

By Richard Mutumba KENYAN lawyers have praised the Ugandan judiciary for being independent unlike that of their country. Addressing a regional workshop on the "Role of the Court in Constitutional Development" yesterday, a Kenyan constitutional lawyer, James Orengo, and Dr Kamau Kuria said courts were an important arm of the State and could make democracy fragile if they are not independent. The lawyers said in Kenya, the judiciary was being controlled by the executive and that this had negatively affected the rule of law and constitutionalism. The workshop, which took place at the Kampala International Conference Centre, was organised by the East African Centre for Constitutional Development (Kituo Cha Katiba) and attended by participants from Uganda, Kenya, Tanzania and international institutions. It was organised after the amendments to the Uganda Constitution following the recent Constitutional Court ruling nullifying the Referendum Act 1999. The amendments have raised questions on the supremacy of the Constitution and the parameters within which the arms of the State should operate. Earlier, the National Political Commissar, James Wapakabhulo, said the Constitution amendment Act 2000 was passed by Parliament to protect laws previously passed. He said the amendment was also meant to protect the internal proceedings of the House from challenges in courts of law. Ends.