Uganda Law Society Breaks Historic Neutrality, Endorses Opposition Candidates for 2026 Elections
Kampala, December 22, 2025 – The Uganda Law Society (ULS) has issued an unprecedented executive order abandoning its longstanding tradition of political neutrality and formally endorsing a slate of opposition candidates for the 2026 general elections, declaring that “neutrality equates to complicity” under the current government.
The order, signed by ULS President Isaac Kimaze Ssemakadde on December 21, 2025, represents a dramatic political intervention by the country’s leading professional body for lawyers. It condemns the “excessive militarisation of civilian and political life,” “entrenched corruption and impunity,” and the “total capture of state institutions—including the judiciary” by the Museveni/NRM regime.
Unprecedented Endorsements
In “Executive Order RNB No. 6 of 2025,” the ULS explicitly endorses:
· Mr. Robert Kyagulanyi Ssentamu (Bobi Wine) for President of the Republic of Uganda.
· Lord Mayor Erias Lukwago for continued leadership of Kampala Capital City Authority.
· Dr. Obuku Ekwaro Anthony for Member of Parliament, Oyam South Constituency.
· All candidates of the National Unity Platform (NUP) and the People’s Front for Freedom (PFF) contesting at all levels in the 2026 polls.
· All lawyer and law student members of the ULS standing for any elective position.
The Society states these candidates “represent the foremost credible force for restoring constitutional order” and offer “the only viable path to dismantling authoritarian consolidation.”
Call for Electoral Vigilance
Alongside the endorsements, the ULS is mobilising voters to protect the integrity of the ballot. Citing Section 33(4) of the Presidential Elections Act, President Ssemakadde has taken to social media urging citizens to “VOTE & STAY AT THE POLLING STATION.”
The directive encourages voters to remain within the vicinity(at least 20 meters away) after casting their ballots to maintain a watchful eye over voting and counting processes, a measure aimed at preventing alleged past malpractices like ballot stuffing and the abduction of polling agents.
This puts the ULS at odds with the Electoral Commission, which has traditionally urged voters to leave after voting and return later for counting, entrusting oversight to accredited agents.
Rationale: An Existential Threat to the Rule of Law
The executive order outlines a sweeping indictment of the current government, alleging:
· The weaponization of security forces for abductions, torture, and extrajudicial killings.
· The systematic undermining of the judiciary through “rigged appointments, manipulated rulings, and clandestine judicial postings.”
· Routine intimidation of lawyers, journalists, and activists for upholding constitutional rights.
· The transformation of state institutions into “tools of repression.”
“Silence in the face of this systemic assault on constitutionalism, human rights, and professional integrity would betray the core mandate of the Uganda Law Society,” the order states, justifying the historic departure from neutrality as “a necessary act of defence” for Uganda’s constitution and democratic future.
The order calls for a “total political reset,” including demilitarisation of civilian affairs and liberation of captured institutions, and mobilises all ULS members and the public to support the endorsed candidates.
The directive remains in force until the conclusion of the 2026 general elections, setting the stage for a highly charged electoral period where the legal profession has positioned itself squarely in opposition to the incumbent government.
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