President Museveni on Thursday appointed Deputy Chief Justice Alfonse Chigamoi Owiny- Dollo as a new Chief Justice to head the Judiciary of Uganda. He replaces Justice Bart Magunda Katureebe who retired after clocking to the judges mandatory retirement age of 70yrs.
Owiny’s appointment was given a worm welcome by sections of the population especially those from the Northern region.
Owinyi has been serving as the Deputy CJ but was also appointed Acting Chief Justice after substantial CJ Bart Katureebe retired.
He becomes the first Chief Justice to be elevated from the position of Deputy Chief Justice as the past Chief Justices were appointed from the Supreme Court Bench.
Justice Owinyi gained fame for having presided over the trial of the Kampala twin bombings in which he convicted several suspects for being behind the killing of at least 76 football fans at Kyadondo Rugby Club and Ethiopian Village in Kabalagala in 2010 during the Worldcup final match.
He also led a panel of ‘five Justices to Mbale District, out of which four of them, upheld the scrapping of the age limit clauses from the Constitution by 317 MPs.
Justice Owiny-Dollo becomes the 13th Chief Justice of Uganda since Independence. He will be deputised by Justice Richard Buteera.
Below is the List of Chief Justices who headed the Judiciary of the Republic of Uganda from 1962-date.
20 July 2020: Alfonse OWiny-Dollo(Acting) [Appointed CJ, Thursday Augus20th,2020]
since 2015-2020: Bart Magunda Katureebe
2013 – 2015 Steven Kavuma (acting)
2001 – 2013 Benjamin Josses Odoki.
1986 – 2001 Samuel Wako Wambuzi.
1985 – 1986 Peter Allen
1980 – 1985 George Masika
1979 – 1980 Samuel Wako Wambuzi
1975 – 1979 Mohammed Saied.
1972 – 1975 Samuel Wako Wambuzi.
1971 – 1972 Benedicto Kiwanuka.
1969 – 1971 Dermot Joseph Sheridan.
1963 – 1969 Egbert Udo Udoma.
1962 – 1963 K. G. Bennet (acting).
The CJ is one of the four strongest positions in the country after that of the President, Vice President and the Speaker of Parliament. The CJ is the head to the Judiciary- the third arm of the gov’t.
