Kampala, Uganda – Buganda Road Chief Magistrate’s Court has issued an arrest warrant for Uganda Law Society President Isaac Ssemakadde after he failed to appear in court for the second time over allegations of insulting Director of Public Prosecutions (DPP), Lady Justice Jane Frances Abodo.
Chief Magistrate Ronald Kayizzi issued the warrant on Monday, February 24, 2025, after Ssemakadde missed court again, having previously failed to appear on January 29, 2025.
Lawyers Joshua Byamazima and Tonny Tumukunde filed a private prosecution case against him, accusing him of making derogatory remarks about Justice Abodo on November 18, 2024, at the People’s Front for Freedom offices on Katonga Road.
With his repeated absence, the court has ordered Ssemakadde’s arrest to ensure he answers the charges against him.
The case has drawn mixed reactions, with some seeing it as a crackdown on government critics, while others argue that defamatory speech should not be tolerated.
The Uganda Law Society has yet to comment on the warrant, while Ssemakadde’s supporters claim the case is politically motivated.
The judiciary’s next steps will determine whether Ssemakadde faces arrest or fights the warrant legally.
