The Buganda Road Chief Magistrate’s Court in Kampala has issued a summons for Uganda Law Society (ULS) President, Mr. Isaac Ssemakadde, requiring him to appear on January 29, 2025. The summons relates to allegations of insulting the Director of Public Prosecutions (DPP), Jane Frances Abodo.
Chief Magistrate Ronald Kayizzi determined that there was sufficient evidence to charge Mr. Ssemakadde with indecent assault. He remarked, “Referring to a woman by terms that degrade her modesty, such as ‘v***na from Karamoja,’ ‘pumpkin,’ ‘dead wood,’ or ‘dimwit,’ especially in a public setting where media coverage is present, constitutes a deliberate insult to her dignity.”
The summons follows a letter from a Local Council Chairperson affirming that the remarks were made on November 18, 2024. A Ward Administrator further corroborated this in a document dated January 15, 2025.
Video evidence presented in court identified the individual making the remarks as Isaac Kimaze Ssemakadde, with his legal representatives acknowledging this during a court session on December 4, 2024. Although Mr. Ssemakadde’s lawyers contended that the case was invalid because Justice Abodo had not personally lodged a complaint, Magistrate Kayizzi clarified that the law allows any individual with reasonable grounds to file a complaint, regardless of their direct involvement as the victim.
The court concluded that a prima facie case existed for violating Section 115 (3) of the Penal Code Act, which addresses offenses against the modesty of women. Mr. Ssemakadde has been summoned to appear on January 29, 2025, to respond to the charge.
The case arises from a private prosecution filed by two lawyers, Mr. Tonny Tumukunde and Mr. Joshua Byamazima, accusing Mr. Ssemakadde of making the remarks during a symposium held on November 18, 2024. The court also denied Mr. Ssemakadde’s request to dismiss the case, affirming that it has jurisdiction to adjudicate the matter.
