Chief Justice Alfonse Chigamoy Owiny-Dollo has officially retired after completing a five-year tenure at the helm of Uganda’s Judiciary, having attained the mandatory retirement age of 70.
Owiny-Dollo formally handed over office to his former deputy, Justice Dr Flavian Zeija, who has assumed the role of Acting Chief Justice in line with constitutional provisions.
Speaking at the handover ceremony at the Supreme Court in Kampala, Owiny-Dollo said the transition had already taken legal effect and credited the achievements of his tenure to collective leadership and institutional teamwork.
He highlighted key milestones, including the expansion of Alternative Dispute Resolution mechanisms, growth of the Judiciary’s budget from about Shs199 billion to over Shs440 billion, and completion of the Supreme Court and Court of Appeal towers.
Owiny-Dollo, appointed Chief Justice in August 2020, oversaw the Judiciary Transformation Agenda aimed at improving access to justice, reducing case backlogs, and modernising court operations. He also championed digitisation, plea bargaining, and customary justice systems, while strengthening judicial infrastructure and human resources.
Acting Chief Justice Dr Zeija praised Owiny-Dollo’s participatory leadership and credited him for stability and unity within the Judiciary.
Other leaders described the retiring Chief Justice as a reformer whose decisions, including rulings limiting the trial of civilians in military courts, strengthened judicial independence.
Report by: Betty Zziwa
