By Kabuye Ronald
The Uganda Law Society (ULS) has issued a strongly worded public denunciation of state-appointed defence lawyers Sarah Awero and Richard Kumbuga, accusing them of failing to uphold their professional obligations during a controversial Mobile High Court session held in Ggaba.
The session, convened by the Judiciary on April 11, took place at the Ggaba Community Church grounds in Makindye Division and is presided over by Justice Alice Komuhangi Khaukha. It is hearing the high-profile murder case against Christopher Okello Onyum, who faces four counts related to the deaths of toddlers at a local daycare centre.
According to the ULS Statement signed by its president Isaac K Ssemakadde and Acting Secretary General Babu Ssali , the decision to hold proceedings in a temporary, tented venue within the same community affected by the alleged crimes raises serious concerns about judicial impartiality. The Society argues that such a setting creates a “reasonable apprehension of bias,” violating both constitutional guarantees and international fair-trial standards requiring that courts not only be impartial but also be seen to be impartial.
The legal body emphasized that Awero and Kumbuga, who are representing the accused under Uganda’s State Brief Scheme, were fully aware of the Society’s formal and broader protest against the venue. Despite this, they have remained silent both publicly and in court, a position the ULS describes as a “dereliction of duty.”
In its statement, the Society referenced international legal standards, including the United Nations Basic Principles on the Role of Lawyers and the International Bar Association guidelines, which require defence counsel to act fearlessly and diligently in protecting their clients’ rights. It stressed that lawyers have not only the right but the obligation to challenge judicial arrangements that threaten fairness.
The ULS also revealed that its representatives were obstructed and forcibly removed under police guard when attempting to access the court session and raise concerns directly with the presiding judge. This, the Society says, further undermines confidence in the integrity of the proceedings.
Beyond the individual conduct of the lawyers, the statement broadens its critique to Uganda’s State Brief Scheme, which provides legal representation to indigent defendants. The ULS described the system as structurally flawed and incapable of guaranteeing independent and effective defence, citing longstanding complaints from prisoners and legal observers.
As part of its resolution, the Society has called on Awero and Kumbuga to immediately place their objection to the venue on court record and to demand relocation of the trial to a neutral High Court setting. Continued silence, it warned, would be interpreted as acquiescence to violations of fair-trial rights.
The ULS is also renewing its push for comprehensive legal aid reform, including the establishment of an independent Legal Aid Authority and the passage of the stalled National Legal Aid Bill 2022. It argues that without such reforms, Uganda risks perpetuating systemic injustices against its most vulnerable defendants.
The statement, issued from ULS House in Kololo, has been circulated to key judicial and prosecutorial authorities and will be forwarded to international human rights bodies, including the UN Special Rapporteur on the Independence of Judges and Lawyers and the African Commission on Human and Peoples’ Rights.
The Judiciary is yet to issue an official response to the allegations.
