Renowned Ugandan legal scholar and retired Supreme Court Justice, Prof. George W. Kanyeihamba, has passed away this morning at Nakasero Hospital at the age of 85. While the precise details of his passing remain unconfirmed, sources indicate he had been receiving treatment in the Intensive Care Unit (ICU) for an extended period.
Prof. Kanyeihamba was a towering figure in Uganda’s legal, academic, and political spheres. His distinguished career spanned roles as a Supreme Court Justice, Cabinet Minister, Member of Parliament, and a key contributor to the drafting of Uganda’s 1995 Constitution as Chair of the Legal Committee of the Constituent Assembly.
Appointed to the Supreme Court in 1997, he served until his retirement in 2009. Before his judicial tenure, he held prominent positions in President Yoweri Museveni’s administration, including Minister of Commerce, Minister of Justice, and Attorney General. A PhD holder from the University of Warwick, he was later honored with an honorary Doctor of Laws (LLD) in 2008.
Prof. Kanyeihamba’s judicial legacy is notably marked by his dissenting opinion in the 2006 presidential election petition. As one of three justices, he argued that irregularities in President Museveni’s re-election justified nullification—a stance widely believed to have cost him his position on the African Court on Human and Peoples’ Rights. His fearless independence also shone through in his public criticism of the Ugandan government following the unconstitutional armed invasion of the High Court by security forces to re-arrest treason suspects granted bail.
A trailblazer in Uganda’s legal community, Prof. Kanyeihamba was the only sitting judge with a PhD at the time of his retirement, earning him widespread respect. Beyond the judiciary, he served as Chancellor of Kampala International University and Kabale University, and held numerous prestigious roles, including:
-
Member, Foundation for Human Rights Initiative
-
Chairman, Committee on Judges’ Terms and Conditions of Service
-
Legal Advisor to the President on Human Rights and International Affairs
-
Chairman, Board of Trustees, Kabale University
-
Chair, Legal and Drafting Committee of the Constituent Assembly
-
Chair, International Commission of Jurists Advisory Panel of Eminent Commonwealth Judicial Experts
Prof. Kanyeihamba’s intellectual rigor, independence, and commitment to justice leave an enduring legacy in Uganda and beyond.