Justice Irene Mulyagonja, the new IGG

By Moses Walubiri

Born in 1963, Justice Irene Mulyagonja was born with a silver spoon in her mouth. Her father, Mulyagonja, was an astute entrepreneur and owner of Kiira Construction Company.

It's this company, according to Bugweri County MP Abdu Katuntu that first tarmacked the Iganga-Jinja road.

For the normally unforgiving secondary education journey, Mt. St. Mary's Namagunga was her alma mater for both O and A-level before joining Makerere University where she studied law.

She later did her Masters at the University of Zimbabwe. Married to JB Kakooza, the mother of three cut her teeth in legal practice at Mulira & Company Advocates before moving to her own firm.

Appointed a judge of the High Court in 2008, Mulayagonja has been lauded as "feisty, diligent and thorough" by those who have crossed paths with her in the legal fraternity.

"She is a very good judge, perhaps one of the finest on the judicial bench. She is a refined lady with a long history in the judiciary. From private practice, to consultancy, and later as judge, she has had it all.

I think she will make a good Inspector General of Government (IGG)," Katuntu told New Vision online in a telephone interview on Friday.

According to Oyam North MP and lawyer, Ayena Crispus, Justice Mulyagonja is a "nonsense person with a knack for perfection."

"As a professional, she is very good and she is a good choice for such a demanding job," he added.

However, prominent constitutional lawyer, Peter Walubiri, said Mulyagonja's success as IGG will be premised on how best she will carry out the balancing act of handling forces that are incidental to her office.

While acknowledge her grasp of legal matters, Walubiri averred that the inspectorate of government will involve superintending over a number of people whose "susceptibility to getting compromised" she will have no control.

"She is diligent, thorough and ethical, but success will depend on a number of converging forces. These include occasional political meddling, meager resources, and making sure that people investigating and prosecuting cases are not compromised," Walubiri said.

As the fourth IGG since 1986, Mulyagonja will follow in the footsteps of Augustine Ruzindana, Jotham Tumwesigye, and Justice Faith Mwonda.