Exiled Ugandan author and human rights advocate Kakwenza Rukirabashaija has expressed support for the Uganda Law Society’s (ULS) Executive Order 7 of 2026, which designates Chief Justice Flavian Zeija as a “Global Judicial Pariah” and outlines targeted professional and international sanctions against him.
Kakwenza, a lawyer and PhD candidate, is internationally celebrated for his books The Greedy Barbarian and Banana Republic: Where Writing Is a Crime, which critique political repression in Uganda.
He was forced into exile following two episodes of detention and torture linked to his writings.
In a social media post on Friday, Kakwenza said, “In support of Executive Order 7 of 2026 of Uganda Law Society, the legal profession retains the irreducible power—the defiant refusal to legitimize injustice sanctioned by Chief Justice Dr Flavian Zeija and his predecessor Owinyi-Dollo! Where our domestic courts are unwilling and/or unable to ensure accountability, international scrutiny is not interference but a legitimate legal continuity since we are in a duo legal system.”
He cited international jurisprudence to support transnational oversight, referencing the Prosecutor v Tadić, Prosecutor v Kunarac, Prosecutor v Akayesu, and Prosecutor v Lubanga Dyilo cases, which establish that international legal mechanisms can be invoked where domestic courts fail to act on serious rights violations.
“The Uganda Law Society Executive Order 7 of 2026 articulates a doctrine that has not yet been sufficiently theorized in our African public law: transnational professional countermeasures,” Kakwenza said.
The ULS executive order, announced on February 13, states that Chief Justice Zeija is a threat to judicial independence and a danger to the rule of law in Uganda.
The document cites Zeija’s accelerated appointment as Chief Justice, exclusion of ULS leadership from the Ceremonial Opening of the New Law Year, and prior conduct while serving as Deputy Chief Justice as evidence of judicial capture.
In the order, the ULS declares that “all members and allies of the Uganda Law Society shall adopt and maintain the following measures indefinitely: institute a policy of perpetual ‘Zero Engagement’ with Chief Justice Zeija outside mandatory judicial interactions, publicly characterize any engagement as conferring legitimacy on judicial capture, and file parallel affidavits or formal notices in relevant proceedings highlighting documented conflicts of interest and impartiality concerns.”
The Executive Order also instructs ULS members to engage international legal institutions, including the International Criminal Court, the African Court on Human and Peoples’ Rights, and the International Bar Association, to seek scrutiny of Chief Justice Zeija’s leadership.
“ULS members and allies shall immediately and persistently petition relevant international bodies for urgent scrutiny of Chief Justice Zeija and broader threats to judicial independence in Uganda,” the order states.
Additionally, the order establishes a “Zeija Accountability Dossier” to permanently archive statements, decisions, and criticisms concerning the Chief Justice for global reference.
Coordinated social media and public awareness campaigns are also mandated to highlight the risks of judicial capture, ensuring that international attention is drawn to what the ULS describes as systemic violations of the rule of law.
Kakwenza highlighted the rationale behind the measures, stating, “When state accountability mechanisms are captured, non-state constitutional actors such as national bar associations may lawfully deploy reputational, diplomatic, and procedural constraints to restore the equilibrium.
"These are defensive measures grounded in associational autonomy, freedom of expression, and ULS’s fiduciary duty to the rule of law.”
The Executive Order further includes whistleblower protections, providing secure channels for reporting impeachable conduct, including bias, corruption, facilitation of human rights violations, and executive interference.
Verified submissions may receive legal aid, public solidarity, or even referrals for international asylum if credible threats exist.
Kakwenza’s statement adds an influential voice to a growing chorus of critics urging global scrutiny of Uganda’s judiciary.
His experience as a dissident writer and exile underscores the personal risks faced by those challenging state capture in Uganda.
“Where our domestic courts are unwilling and/or unable to ensure accountability, international scrutiny is not interference but a legitimate legal continuity,” he said, echoing the Executive Order’s emphasis on the duty of lawyers to defend the independence of the judiciary and protect citizens’ rights.
The ULS Executive Order 7 reflects a bold, unprecedented intervention by the legal profession, combining domestic measures with international advocacy, digital accountability campaigns, and whistleblower protections — all aimed at restoring the credibility and independence of Uganda’s judiciary.
