Former Chief Justice Wambuzi Writes Book

Former Chief Justice Samuel Wako Wambuzi has written a book, The Odyssey of a Judicial Career in Precarious Times: My Trials and Triumphs as Three-Time Chief Justice of Uganda.

The book not only chronicles Wambuzi's life but also takes the reader through a forty-something odyssey serving as a prosecutor, acting director of public prosecutions (DPP), Judge of the High Court, Chief Justice of Uganda, President of East African Court of Appeal, and then twice Chief Justice of Uganda.

Narrated with simplicity and candor, Wambuzi says, that he is the only chief justice in Uganda who assumed that position because the president then [Amin] found difficulty pronouncing the word 'Acting.'

"Within a few months of my appointment as acting chief justice, there was a ceremony. President Amin stood up to address the gathering. He recognized their excellencies, the honorable ministers and when he came to acting chief justice, he stumbled several times over the word 'acting' which he failed to pronounce, and finally said, 'Ah, now you are full', and said, 'The chief Justice".

I have often joked to my friends that I was appointed chief justice not on merit, but because the president at the time could not pronounce the word 'acting'," he says in his book.

Then, the president had full powers to appoint a chief justice. The 1995 Constitution has since changed that position. Today, the chief justice is appointed on the advice of the Judicial Service Commission (JSC) with the approval of parliament. Wambuzi was appointed acting chief justice, after the mysterious disappearance of the then Chief Justice Benedicto Kiwanuka. Wambuzi will launch the book today (Friday) at Serena hotel at 2pm. Read more