Kampala – Uganda Law Society (ULS) members have voted overwhelmingly to censure Secretary Phillip Munaabi and Central Region Council Member Geoffrey Turyamusiima, deepening a long-standing leadership crisis within the society.
Counsel Munaabi's fate was sealed at an Extraordinary General Meeting (EGM) in Kampala on Wednesday afternoon, with 462 members vote in favour of the motion, 83 opposing it, while 35 abstained.
The two were also expelled from the ULS governing council in a majority vote of 394 against 100 while 35 abstained.
However, the members spared the two from being referred to the Law Council for disciplinary and criminal action.
The decision comes almost a year after Munaabi and Turyamusiima were embroiled in a bitter dispute with then-President Isaac Ssemakadde and Vice President Anthony Asiimwe.
The crisis erupted in November 2024 when Munaabi, in his role as Honorary Secretary, chaired a council meeting that led to the expulsion of Ssemakadde and Asiimwe over allegations of misconduct and mismanagement.
In response, the ULS Council suspended both Munaabi and Turyamusiima, sparking legal battles that culminated in February 2025 when the High Court nullified the suspensions, ruling in Munaabi’s favour.
The society subsequently appealed the court’s decision.
Today’s censure vote reflects lingering divisions within Uganda’s legal fraternity. While supporters of the motion argued that Munaabi’s actions had destabilised the society and violated governance norms, his defenders pointed to the court’s ruling as evidence that the suspension was unlawful.
ULS boss Ssemakadde remains ensconced in exile from which he runs the Society via social media and through his loyalists.
Ssemakadde, who has developed the knack for sharing his photos in underwear taken from waterfronts, fled the country after coming under the weight for the Judiciary's gavel following his fallout with top officials.