Controversial Justice Murangira transferred from Mubende in latest changes

Controversial Justice Joseph Murangira has been transferred from Mubende as the area resident judge in the latest changes in the judiciary, the Nile Post has learnt.

According to a circular by the new Principal Judge, Flavian Zeija, Murangira has been sent to the Family Division of the High Court and replaced by Justice Isaac Muwata.

Murangira has in the past few years been involved in a number of controversies while serving as the Mubende resident Judge.

Last year, a group of lawyers led by Eron Kiiza of Kiiza and Mugisha Advocates, representing a group of 24 people petitioned the Chief Justice complaining over the manner in which Murangira had handled a  land matter in which they were evicted from a piece of land that housed five villages and had over 3000 people.

Murangira was accused of siding with the locals’ tormentors who included the Mubende DPC Martin Okoyo to keep the locals who had earlier been evicted in prison.

https://nilepost.co.ug/2019/07/12/drama-in-mubende-court-as-justice-murangiras-bodyguard-presides-over-court/

The lawyers in their letters to the Chief Justice and the Mubende High Court registrar insisted that Justice Joseph Murangira was biased and could not be allowed to take part in the matter because of the same.

In July 2019, there was drama in Mubende High Court over the same matter when Justice Murangira’s bodyguard presided over court proceedings.

When time for court reached, the lawyers representing the evictees from a piece of land measuring 322.5 hectares were told by the judge’s bodyguard that he(Murangira) who was in his chambers had sent him to tell court that the matter could not be heard on that day and it was subsequently adjourned.

Other transfers

The latest transfers by the Principal Judge have also seen Justice Musa Ssekaana who was recently transferred to Mbarara returned to the Civil Division of the High Court in Kampala whereas Lady Justice Olive Kazaarwe has been moved from the Family Division to the Land Division of the High Court.

Justice Yasin Nyanzi has been moved from the Criminal Division to the Land Division whereas Justice Tadeo Asiimwe has been moved from the Mbale circuit to Mbarara as the senior resident judge.

The changes have also seen Lady Justice Elizabeth Kabanda who had recently been sent to the Civil Division returned to the Execution and Bailiffs Division of the High Court whereas Lady Justice Margaret Tibula has been moved back to the Anti- Corruption Court from the Land Division where she had been sent recently.

Lady Justice Basaza Waswa who has been at the Execution and Bailiffs Division of the High Court has been sent to the Mukono circuit.

“The deployments take immediate effect,” the circular by the new Principal Judge, Flavian Zeija reads in part.

https://nilepost.co.ug/2019/07/08/justice-murangira-cited-in-land-scandal-involving-eviction-of-3000-people-asked-to-defend-self/