By Kabuye Ronald
President Yoweri Museveni has appointed Dr Flavian Zeija as the new Chief Justice of Uganda, replacing Justice Alfonse Owiny-Dollo, who recently retired after attaining the mandatory retirement age of 70 years.
Parliament on Thursday confirmed that Dr Zeija appeared before the Appointments Committee, chaired by Speaker Anita Among, for vetting ahead of his assumption of office.
“Earlier today, we convened the Appointments Committee of Parliament to vet the Honourable Justice Flavian Zeija, who was appointed by His Excellency the President to serve as the Chief Justice of the Republic of Uganda. The committee’s report will be forwarded to the appointing authority in accordance with our Rules of Procedure,” Speaker Among posted on her X handle.
Who Is Dr Flavian Zeija?
Dr Flavian Zeija was born on February 18, 1969, in Western Uganda. He completed his primary and secondary education in local schools before joining Makerere University in 1993. He graduated with a Bachelor of Laws degree in 1996 and later obtained a Postgraduate Diploma in Legal Practice from the Law Development Centre in Kampala in 1997.
In 1999, Dr Zeija returned to Makerere University for postgraduate studies, earning a Master of Laws degree in 2002. He later attained a Doctor of Philosophy (PhD) in Law from the University of Dar es Salaam in 2013. In 2018, he was awarded a Master of Business Administration from Uganda Martyrs University. He has also been a member of the Institute of Chartered Secretaries and Administrators of the United Kingdom since 2012.
Dr Zeija has extensive experience in legal practice, academia, and judicial service. He began his legal career in 1998 as a legal assistant at Kwesigabo, Bamwine, Walubiri & Company Advocates in Kampala. He later served as Manager for Legal and Recovery at Tropical Africa Bank between 2002 and 2003, and as Legal Counsel at FINCA Uganda Limited. Prior to joining the Bench, he was the Managing Partner at Zeija, Mukasa & Company Advocates.
Alongside private practice, Dr Zeija lectured law at Uganda Christian University, Makerere University, and Makerere University Business School (MUBS), where he was the founding Head of the Department of Business Law.
He was appointed a Judge of the High Court of Uganda in 2016 and subsequently served as the Resident Judge of the Mbarara High Court Circuit, the largest in the country. In December 2019, he was appointed Principal Judge. Last year, he was elevated to the position of Deputy Chief Justice, a role he held until his appointment as Chief Justice.
