Judiciary investigating CJ Owiny-Dollo, Kisakye fight

The Judiciary is investigating the fued between Chief Justice Owiny Dollo and Supreme court Justice Esther Kisakye, the Permanent Secretary of the Judiciary Pius Birgirimana has assured members of Parliament.

Bigirimana was Monday appearing before the Legal and Parliamentary Affairs Committee where the Judiciary’s ministerial policy statement was being presented. Members had sought clarification over the recent public brawls between the Justice Alfonse Owiny-Dollo and Justice Esther Kisakye in relation to the 2021 Presidential election petition.

 Kisakye accused Owiny-Dollo of confiscating her minority ruling that she was due to present.  

Upon delivering their detailed ruling, Owiny-Dollo said the court would break off and reconvene later  without giving any reason. This was followed by a series of events including one in which, a judicial official came and ordered the team from PhotoGenix Company, which was contracted to erect a tent and provide quality sound to the court, to disconnect their equipment as Justice Kisakye looked on since she had remained alone on the bench.  

She told journalists that the full panel was supposed to reconvene. She later revealed that her file had been grabbed from her and confiscated on the orders of the Chief Justice Owiny-Dollo for unknown reasons.

Now the Committee Chairperson Jacob Oboth asked Birgirimana on whether they have mechanisms of handling conflicts within the judiciary instead of seeing top leadership of the judiciary fight in public, referring to the Supreme Court incidence.

Birgirimana in response told the committee that they have a disciplinary committee and high ranking officials are sent to the judicial service commission. He believes that these two committees will handle the matter.

The Bugiri municipality MP Asuman Basalirwa informed the committee that when the judicial service commission appeared before the committee, they were informed that they were investigating the matter and the public will be informed about the outcome once they finalize their investigations.

Attempts to speak to the Judicial Service Commission was futile by press time.

URN