At last, excellence of Justice Egonda-Ntende to be rewarded 

Justice FREDERICK MARTIN STEPHEN EGONDA-NTENDE is widely considered one of the best judges Uganda has ever produced.

His judgments are so thorough they always leave no room for doubt. Yet for some reason, he has continued to remain an unsung hero, and top judicial offices continue to elude him.

At 66 years, Egonda-Ntende has only four years left before retirement. However, the powers that be at Makerere University couldn’t let his contribution to Uganda’s jurisprudence go unnoticed, and ahead of the 74th graduation ceremony on January 29, 2024, the university is set to bestow upon him an honorary doctorate of laws degree for his significant contributions to the legal fraternity in Uganda.

As Geofrey Serugo writes, the honorary doctorate is the least Egonda-Ntende deserves for his services to the judiciary. The honorary doctorate degree is the highest award granted by the university and constitutes recognition of distinctive achievement that has contributed materially to knowledge and to the betterment of society.

Prof Buyinza Mukadasi, the Makerere University academic registrar, said at the 161st meeting held on October 4, 2023, the university council received and considered the senate recommendation to award Justice Egonda-Ntende with an honorary doctor of Laws (LLD).

In the same vein, the former minister for Water Resources, Betty Bigombe, will also be awarded an honorary doctor of laws degree by Makerere University.

“The university council noted that you have done distinguished work in Uganda and around the world; notably, you have made a profound impact on legal training and practice and exhibited a high degree of integrity and dedication to service in the cause of justice,” Prof Mukadasi said in a statement.

The university said Justice Egonda- Ntende carried out his task as a judge with humility, utmost incorruptibility, and unwavering fealty to the cause of justice and equality embedded in the judicial oath.

“You have demonstrated exceptional accomplishments in upholding ethical principles and the development of the judicial system in Uganda and globally,” the Prof Mukadasi said.

Prior to joining the Court of Appeal, Justice Egonda-Ntende served as the Chief Justice of the Seychelles in 2009, a position he held until 2014. He served as acting justice of the Supreme court of Uganda. He also took part in the setting up of an independent judiciary in East Timor, where he served as a judge of the Court of Appeal.

Egonda-Ntende lectured law at Makerere University in Uganda and was the chairperson of the Law Reporting Committee of the judiciary in Uganda. He also served as a judge for the United Nations Mission in Kosovo.

WHAT LEGAL BRAINS SAY

Dr Busingye Kabumba:  He is a most deserving recipient of this accolade. He has rendered a number of landmark decisions that display a depth of appreciation for both Uganda’s historical trajectory [in legal and constitutional terms] and the interaction between our legal framework and the broader body of international legal norms.

His decisions are important sources for students, practitioners and teachers of the law; they demonstrate courage of thought, rigour of analysis and a highly sophisticated approach to legal reasoning. He is not only a judge but, in many ways, a legal jurist, whose philosophical approach to the law shines through every one of his opinions.

Richard Omongole: Justice Egonda-Ntende is one of the best legal minds this country has ever had, and it is no surprise that he is going to be recognised by Makerere University with one of their highest honors. From the time I started practicing, even before, one of the leading decisions he made regarding compensation [Osotraco Ltd v Attorney General].

If the government compulsorily acquires a citizen’s property, it must compensate him, and his ruling had remained a leading authority at all courts, yet he made it as a High court judge.

He has performed with excellence and dignity; he is an incorruptible and a well-organized judge. You can’t go to his court when you are not prepared; you must be ready for the hearing, and he practices it with diligence and honesty. He is a judge you can’t bring allegations against because of his thoroughness and the way he handles matters.

He is also recognized outside the country. In fact, he should have been appointed to the Supreme court. It is prudent and good that Makerere recognizes such a person because we are not part of the culture of recognizing good performance. I hope the Judicial Service Commission thinks about taking him higher than he is at the moment. I am sure that even when he was to take up the position of chief justice, he would reorganize the judiciary.

Eron Kiiza:  He is the chief justice that this country missed and never had because of the depth of his knowledge and integrity. His integrity is unrivalled and has consistently excelled since the time he was at High court. He didn’t wait to go to a Constitutional court to start making ground-breaking decisions. He has never been involved in any kind of judicial misconduct; so, the legal fraternity wishes him all the best.

Another lawyer who declined to be named said Egonda-Ntende has been an outstanding judge in the country and has handled vicious cases like Gen David Tinyefuza, aka Sejusa vs Attorney General, in which he ruled in favour of Sejusa, declaring that his army membership was ceased in 1993 when he was appointed senior presidential advisor.

“During his tenure, Egonda-Ntende demonstrated competence and understanding of the law. This recognition should have come yesterday because he has been in the system for so long and has consistently delivered his mandate,” he said.