I’m retiring and going home- Chief Justice Katureebe
Today marks the last day in the office for Chief Justice Bart Katureebe who has sought not to stick around the top judiciary office.
Katureebe will be retiring tomorrow, June 20 which marks his 70th birthday and the official retirement age.
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In a statement released Friday, Katureebe said it has been a great honor to and privilege to hold the office, he urged stakeholders to support the incoming CJ.
“I am retiring from Judicial Service as the Chief Justice of Uganda on June 20, 2020. I wish to take this opportunity to thank you all collectively and individually for the cooperation and support you have rendered to me, and the Judiciary as an institution during my tenure in office. It has indeed been a great honor and privilege to work with you all,” Katureebe said
“I believe that together we have registered some achievements in the Administration of Justice in the Country. I would urge all to extend the same support to the in-coming Chief Justice,” he added.
Occupying his seat for the last time in the Chief Justice chambers at the Judiciary headquarters in Kampala, Justice Katureebe told some of his staff that: “I have retired and I’m going home.”
“I want people to see that you can retire and go home. I am just winding up for the new person to come in. I’ll be coming to Kampala as a visitor,” he added.
Katureebe was given two more appeal cases to handle before retirement. These include; Patrick Kaumba Wiltshire Vs Ismail Dabule and Kamo Enterprises Ltd Vs Krystalline Salt Ltd.
He says he will have three months as a judge at the supreme court to handle the cases then he can proceed with writing his book which will be halfway through by December.
The judiciary has not yet chosen a replacement for Katureebe, but names have since been proposed to President Museveni with Deputy CJ Justice Alfonse Owiny-Dollo, Richard Buteera, and Esther Mayambala Kisakye the fold Museveni is likely to pick from.
A handover ceremony has been organized on Tuesday where Katureebe will provide Owiny-Dollo with instruments to take over in the meantime.
“The Deputy Chief Justice (DCJ) will be acting from Sunday, because I technically leave on Saturday 20th June midnight. After that, I will not be able to sign anything as Chief Justice”.
Happy Katureebe
A visibly contented Katureebe said to a few of his staff on Friday: “For me I am very happy with where we have reached – almost everything of mine has clicked.
“The ECCMIS (Electronic Court Case Management Information System) is on course, the construction of the Appellate Courts is on course, the Administration of the Judiciary Bill, which was passed by Parliament and now assented to by the President (as of today) – that’s my achievement.”
The law gives the Judiciary financial and administrative autonomy. He said terms and conditions of Judicial Officers have improved and now put in law, so it is no longer ex-gratia (paid at will) and that judicial officers now have retirement benefits.
“When I joined the Judiciary (in 2005), judges were getting Shs5 million per month, but they are now getting an average of Shs25 million,” he said.
“There was nothing in the law for the Chief Justice and Deputy Chief Justice when they retire. We have not had a law in place providing for retirement benefits other than the pension and gratuity paid under the Pensions Act. Now we have the law in place providing retirement benefits for all judicial officers,” he said.
Katureebe said he dedicated 36 years of his work life to public service: I worked for eight years as a state attorney; then I was a minister for 13 years, including service in the Constituent Assembly and Parliament – 21 years in government, plus the 15 years in the Judiciary, inclusive of the five years as Chief Justice.
He says he feels he has retired satisfied that some achievements have been made, but he acknowledges that a lot more still needs to be done, particularly in the reduction of case backlog.
