Justice and Constitutional Affairs minister Nobert Mao has stepped in to mediate the ongoing conflict between Uganda Law Society (ULS) President Isaac Ssemakadde and High Court Judge Musa Ssekaana.
Mr Mao made the announcement during a public engagement with the Radical New Bar at the ULS headquarters in Kampala.
Mao revealed that he has been closely following the dispute between Ssemakadde and two senior judicial figures—Judge Ssekaana and Director of Public Prosecutions (DPP) Jean Frances Abodo.
Drawing a parallel with managing an aching boil, the minister emphasized the importance of letting conflicts mature before addressing them.
“Dealing with conflict is like managing a boil. You first have to let it grow, and when it’s old enough, you squeeze it. But when you interfere with it prematurely, you could cause even more pain,” Mao explained.
He also offered his services as a mediator, facilitating a roundtable discussion between Ssemakadde and members of the judiciary within the Uganda Law Society.
“I’m volunteering now because I believe conflicts and disputes can be mediated. A lot of the work we are doing cannot be done in the public eye, so permit me to keep much of it to myself,” he added.
The conflict flared earlier this year when Judge Ssekaana sentenced Ssemakadde to two years in prison for contempt of court.
The charges stemmed from Ssemakadde’s social media posts and letters criticizing Ssekaana’s decision to block an Extraordinary Annual General Meeting of ULS that was set to elect new representatives to the Judicial Service Commission (JSC).
In response, Ssemakadde went into hiding and later fled the country.
Minister Mao confirmed that both Judge Ssekaana and DPP Abodo are open to dialogue and a peaceful resolution of the dispute.
However, he acknowledged that he had not yet directly engaged with Ssemakadde.
“I have not yet spoken to the president, but I believe it’s the right thing to do. Pray for the process. We shouldn’t be fighting; there is willingness on all sides,” Mao urged.
Ssemakadde is the second lawyer to face imprisonment under Judge Ssekaana’s orders. In 2022, lawyer Male Mabirizi was sentenced to 18 months in prison for contempt of court.