Tensions around Uganda’s speakership debate have escalated after lawyer Isaac Ssemakadde issued a sharp response to Chief of Defence Forces Gen. Muhoozi Kainerugaba over his recent political comments on the race.
Ssemakadde questioned the framing of authority and warned against what he described as attempts to influence constitutional processes through forceful or informal directives.
Addressing Muhoozi, he rejected comparisons between governance and military discipline.
“Muhoozi Kainerugaba, constitutionalism is not a barracks parade where dissenters march straight into handcuffs for refusing to salute patriarchal decrees,” he said.
He argued that Uganda’s political system is guided by law and procedure, not personal influence or informal endorsements.
According to him, the position of Speaker of Parliament is decided through constitutional mechanisms and not external instruction.
“Uganda is governed by law, not testosterone and midnight tweets. The Speaker of Parliament is elected under the Constitution, not appointed by a self-anointed council of men claiming a divine monopoly on leadership,” he added.
The remarks follow Muhoozi’s recent social media posts endorsing Defence Minister Jacob Oboth-Oboth for the speakership and urging unity behind President Yoweri Museveni’s preferred direction.
The comments have sparked debate over the role of political and military leaders in parliamentary succession matters.
Ssemakadde also criticized what he termed as threats directed at those with differing views, saying such language risks undermining democratic principles.
“And as for threatening arrest over disagreement, that is the language of frightened power, not legitimate authority. Citizens are not subjects. Women are not constitutional footnotes,” he said.
He further called for strict adherence to constitutional provisions in guiding political decisions, insisting that leaders must operate within the law regardless of position or influence.
“Kindly locate Article 1 of the Constitution before locating handcuffs,” he said.