Election of new Law Society boss contested

By Michael Odeng

City lawyer Simon Tendo Kabenge has petitioned Court challenging the election of the new Uganda Law Society (ULS) president.

Kabenge petitioned to the High Court challenging Ruth Sebatindira’s election as ULS president contending that the March 23 annual general meeting at Imperial Resort Beach was illegal. He wants the result cancelled.

“The annual general meeting of ULS, which elected the new president, breached all the statutory provisions of the law governing it,” Kabenge said. Richard Lumu and Nicholas Opio were the other contestants for the ULS’s top job.

Kabenge contends that voting by caucusing instead of the internationally acceptable principles of voting by ballot.
 “The meeting was irregularly convened by the ULS Executive Director, Moses Adriko, who is not a member of Uganda Law Society,” reads an affidavit sworn by Kabenge.

Kabenge also contends that using police to ‘persecute’ the petitioner for civil matters arising from a contract under which he petitioned court is abuse of the criminal process.

He adds that the ULS regulations require that the Annual General Meeting should be presided over by the society’s president or his vice but not the executive director.

Kabenge also challenged the ‘shooting down’ of his candidature by former ULS president Bruce Kyerere before the elections were conducted.

“Before the nominations were conducted, Adriko passed a strange motion from Kyerere, impeaching my candidature. This was illegal,” Kabenge argues.

Through his lawyers Akampumuza and Company Advocates, Kabenge said that he was victimized and discriminated against by the ULS, on grounds that he had sued the ULS before the Constitutional Court.

Kabenge also stated that his candidature was instead impeached by former president Bruce Kyerere for having filed a constitution petition against the lawyers’ body.

He maintains that that USL disenfranchised its electorate by making attendance and voting at the meeting only a preserve of paid-up members.

“The respondents denied my right to participate in the election as a member of ULS and to be voted for in the manner expressly provided for,” he asserts in his affidavit.

Kabenge wants Court to order fresh ULS elections in compliance with the law as well as an injunction against Ssebatindira and all office bearers.