Buganda Kingdom sets up law chambers

Justice Esther Kisakye Kitimbo has commended the Kingdom of Buganda for setting up law chambers which will provide legal aid to the helpless.

The Supreme Court judge made the remarks while launching the Buganda Royal Law Chambers, a law firm for the Buganda Kingdom, at Bulange-Mengo.

She asked the kingdom to place lots of emphasis on training the fi rm's lawyers to enable them to give quality services.

"The Katikkiro talked about the demolition of a church... those who have had an opportunity to look at the judgement, the newspapers; you see that lawyers should have done better.

We can only judge the cases as good as they come. If you don't make your argument before us, we follow the law.

That is what the judicial oath says," Kisakye said referring to the demolition of St Peter's Church in Ndeeba in Kampala recently. Justice Kisakye said the chambers should become a legal think tank for the kingdom and its institutions because today battlefields are no longer physical but in boardrooms and courts of law.

"Battles are won in boardrooms and in courts. This underscores the importance of the Buganda Royal Law Chambers," Justice Kisakye said.

The Katikkiro of Buganda, Charles Peter Mayiga, expressed gratitude that the chambers have been reinstalled after 54 years since they were active with the late Fred Mpanga as the kingdom's attorney general.

He thanked the current attorney general, Christopher Bwanika, for this landmark.

"After the launch of the chambers, the first assignment I am giving you is to do whatever is possible in legal terms to reclaim Kanywabalangira well which is located near the demolished St. Peter's Church in Ndeeba," Mayiga directed Bwanika and his team.