Retired Supreme Court Judge and former Cabinet Minister Professor George W Kanyeihamba has died.
According to his friend Arnold Mukose, who has been one of his caretakers, the Professor passed on at Nakasero Hospital on Monday, where he had been admitted for nearly a month.
Mukose told our reporter that Kenyeihamba has been battling Diabetes. He said he had been in the ICU for a long period until he passed on.
He was appointed Supreme Court Judge in 1997 and retired in November 2009. Previously, he served as Minister of Commerce, Minister of Justice, and Attorney General.
Kanyeihamba was one of the three Supreme Court justices who ruled that the re-election of President Museveni in 2006 was fraudulent enough and should be nullified.
Kanyeihamba was born on 11 August 1939 in Kinaba, Kinkizi District. He attended Hamurwa Church School, Nyaruhanga Anglican Church Primary School, Nyakatare Church School, Kigezi High School, Busoga CollegeMwiri, and Norwich City College.
He graduated with a Bachelor of Laws from Portsmouth University. In the 70’s, he was awarded the degree of Doctor of Laws from the University of Warwick in the United Kingdom.
Kanyeihamba was also the Chancellor of both Kampala International University and Kabale University.
He held several positions, including Member of the Foundation for Human Rights Initiative, Chairman of the Committee on Judges’ Terms and Conditions of Service and legal advisor to the President on Human Rights and International Affairs.
Others were the Chairman of the board of trustees of Kabale University, Chairman of, Legal and Drafting Committee of the Constituent Assembly, Chair of the International Commission of Jurists.
The government is expected to release an official statement soon, possibly with details on whether the retired judge will receive an official burial given his service to the nation. Currently, the government doesn’t have a spokesperson following the resignation of Ofwono Opwondo to join active politics.
The Minister for ICT, Chris Baryomunsi, couldn’t answer our calls for a comment.
Professor Kanyeihamba was a towering figure in Uganda’s legal and political landscape, known for his strong stance on constitutionalism, human rights, and the rule of law.
