By Kabuye Ronald
Justice (Rtd.) Professor George Wilson Kanyeihamba, a former Supreme Court judge and one of Uganda’s most prominent legal minds, has passed away at the age of 84.
Justice Kanyeihamba served on the Supreme Court of Uganda from 1997 until his retirement in November 2009. A renowned constitutional law expert, he played a key role in shaping Uganda’s legal framework, most notably as Chair of the Legal Committee of the Constituent Assembly that drafted the 1995 Constitution.
His public service extended far beyond the bench. He held several high-ranking government positions, including Minister of Commerce, Minister of Justice, and Attorney General. He was also a former Member of Parliament and served as Legal Adviser to the President on Human Rights and International Affairs.
Kanyeihamba held a PhD in Law from the University of Warwick, which later awarded him an honorary Doctor of Laws (LLD) in 2008. He also earned a Bachelor of Laws degree from Portsmouth University, following earlier education at Busoga College Mwiri and Kigezi High School, among other institutions.
In academia, he made significant contributions as a lecturer in law at various institutions in the UK and Uganda, including the University of Portsmouth, Coventry University (formerly Lanchester Polytechnic), the University of Wales in Cardiff, and the Law Development Centre in Entebbe. He authored several books and scholarly articles in constitutional and human rights law.
Justice Kanyeihamba also served as Chancellor of both Kampala International University and Kabale University. He was actively involved in civil society and international legal organizations, notably as Chair of the International Commission of Jurists Advisory Panel of Eminent Commonwealth Judicial Experts, and as a member of the Foundation for Human Rights Initiative.
Born on August 11, 1939, in Kinaba, Kinkizi District, Kigezi Region, he was the youngest of eleven children of Zakaliya Bafwokworora and Kyenda Malyamu Kyakundwa.
Justice Kanyeihamba is survived by his wife, Susan Kanyeihamba, and their children Sarah, Joel, and Ruth, as well as an adopted daughter, Betty.
His legacy as a scholar, judge, and defender of human rights will be remembered across Uganda and beyond.
