Supreme court judge Stella Arach-Amoko dies at Nakasero hospital 

Justice Mary Stella Arach Amoko of the Supreme court is dead.

Arach passed away today at about 4.00 am aged 69 years at Nakasero hospital. She was left with only one year to retire as a judicial officer of the Supreme court. She has reportedly been battling cancer for a long time.

Arach with vast experience in the legal profession worked previously as a state attorney in the Attorney General’s Chambers and rose through the ranks to a commissioner for civil litigation between 1979 to 1997. 

She served as a High court judge for 13 years from 1997 to 2010 prior to her elevation to the Court of Appeal. Prior to this, she also served at the East African Court of Justice, from 2006 until 2008, as a judge and from 2008 until 2013, as a deputy principal judge of the First Instance Division. 

In 2010 she was among the candidates considered by the Judicial Service Commission who applied for appointment as the Chief Justice of Uganda. Between 15 April 2018 and 14 April 2020, Arach-Amoko served as the chairperson of the nine-member Management Committee of Uganda’s Law Development Centre. 

In her career, she has presided over several cases both criminal and civil cases, election matters, and presidential election matters. Lawyer and Kampala Lord Mayor, Erias Lukwago has described Amoko as a soft-spoken, level-headed, and venerable jurist or sage who endeavored to uphold the judicial oath under very challenging circumstances.

“You will be dearly missed Lady Justice Stella Arach Amoko. May your soul rest in eternal peace,” said Lukwago.

Arach becomes the second justice of the Supreme court to die in less than a year. About six months ago, the Supreme court also lost justice Rubby Opio Aweri. Earlier, Constitutional court justice Kenneth Kakuru also passed on in Nairobi Kenya.