The president of Uganda Law Society (ULS), Isaac Ssemakadde, has been summoned to appear before Buganda Road Chief Magistrate Court on January 29 to allegedly over alleged derogatory remarks about the Director of Public Prosecutions (DPP).
Chief magistrate Ronald Kayizzi said that he did not find the complaint annoying or frivolous, as Ssemakadde’s advocates had argued. Instead, he found a prima facie case had been established and that it was fair for Ssemakadde to be summoned to explain himself.
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“Anyone who refers to a woman by her private body parts intends to insult her modesty. Anyone who refers to a woman as “vagina from Karamoja… a pumpkin… dead wood… a dimwit” at a public gathering well aware that there is media presence knows that the said woman will definitely hear those words said against her. The intention is most likely to insult her modesty,” Mr. Kayizzi said.
According to court documents, Ssemakadde is accused of making the following statements: “All these things, like your particular kerfuffle, is then given legal dressing by this vagina from Karamoja. I have made a case before that you have a pumpkin for a DPP. But some lawyers continue to pretend that she is a DPP, and for some, they take it very seriously because they think it is an attack on womanhood or it is an attack on being Karamajong; that is absolute nonsense.
“She is a pumpkin. She is dead wood. She is a dimwit. She is a careerist, shameless careerist. She is a cuckoo in the nest of our criminal justice system,” said at another location.
The summons follows a complaint filed by two private prosecutors, Joshua Byamazima and Tony Tumukunde. In a separate ruling, Kayizzi dismissed an application filed by Ssemakadde’s lawyers, Derrick Bazekuketta and Eron Kiiza, seeking dismissal of the charges. The application argued that the court lacked jurisdiction to inquire into the complaint, among other grounds.
Kayizzi noted that the alleged utterances were made on November 18, 2024, at the People Freedom Front (PFF) offices in Katonga, Nakasero 1 in Kampala Central Division. The complainants attached a letter from the area LC I chairperson, Elizabeth Kabarungi, confirming that the alleged utterances were made.
Additionally, Kayizzi had written to the Nakasero 1 Parish chief/ward administrator, who also confirmed that the alleged utterances were made in Katonga LC I Nakasero 1 Parish in Kampala Central.
Kayizzi found that the evidence in the complaint and affidavit established a prima facie case against Ssemakadde. He also maintained that the admissibility of the flash disc containing the alleged utterances would be determined at trial.
Kayizzi insisted that the words were intended to insult the DPP’s modesty, citing Section 115(3) of the Penal Code Act.
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