Exiled Uganda Law Society (ULS) president Isaac Ssemakadde has issued what he termed an executive order, urging lawyers to support opposition presidential candidate Robert Kyagulanyi, popularly known as Bobi Wine, in the 2026 General Election-an unprecedented move that has sparked sharp backlash within the legal fraternity and from the ruling party.
In a statement circulated on Monday, Mr Ssemakadde said the legal profession could no longer remain politically neutral amid what he described as ‘state capture and a shrinking democratic space.’
‘The Uganda Law Society hereby unequivocally endorses Mr Robert Kyagulanyi Ssentamu (Bobi Wine) as a candidate for President of the Republic of Uganda,’ the order reads, adding that it takes immediate effect until the conclusion of the 2026 elections or revocation by ‘lawful authority.’
Mr Ssemakadde also endorsed Kampala Lord Mayor Erias Lukwago for another term, Dr Obuku Ekwaro Anthony for Oyam South MP, and all candidates from the National Unity Platform (NUP) and the People’s Front for Freedom (PFF) at all elective levels.
‘These endorsed candidates and platforms represent the foremost credible force for restoring constitutional order, economic justice, youth empowerment, accountable governance, and the independence of institutions,’ the directive states.
He further called on ULS members, law students, civil society groups, and ‘patriotic Ugandans’ to mobilise for the endorsed candidates, saying the Society would deploy its resources-within the law-to educate the public on what he termed a ‘historic electoral contest.’
Mr Kyagulanyi is contesting against seven other presidential candidates, including incumbent President Yoweri Museveni of the ruling National Resistance Movement (NRM), Nathan Nandala Mafabi of the Forum for Democratic Change (FDC), and Mugisha Muntu of the Alliance for National Transformation (ANT).
Presidential polling is slated for January 15, 2026.
Founded to safeguard the independence of the Bar and promote the rule of law, the ULS has historically maintained political neutrality. However, Mr Ssemakadde argued that prevailing conditions warranted a departure from that tradition.
‘The excessive militarisation of civilian and political life, entrenched corruption and impunity, and the total capture of state institutions, including the judiciary, have reached a point where neutrality equates to complicity,’ he said, accusing courts of becoming ‘rubber stamps of political repression.’
He also urged voters to remain within 20 metres of polling stations after voting.
The directive was swiftly contested by a faction of senior lawyers under the banner of the Senior Counsel Bar, who reaffirmed that the ULS remains nonpartisan. In a statement signed by Prof Fredrick Ssempebwa, a former ULS president, the group warned that political endorsements undermine the Society’s statutory mandate and erode public trust in the legal profession.
‘We strongly condemn all attempts to brand ULS as a partisan body,’ the statement read, urging the Society instead to document electoral irregularities and pursue legal redress or electoral reforms through the courts.
The ruling NRM also dismissed the move. Mr Emmanuel Ddombo, the party’s communications director, described the directive as ‘madness.’
‘There is a reason why he is issuing it beyond the borders. He is free to support any candidate, but he should not compromise the neutrality of the Bar,’ Mr Ddombo said.
Mr Ssemakadde fled Uganda earlier this year after being accused of abusing former Director of Public Prosecutions Jane Frances Abodo, now Principal Judge, and was later convicted and sentenced to two years’ imprisonment for contempt of court, making him liable to arrest if he returns to the country.