Lawyer Godwin Toko
A heated exchange has emerged in Uganda’s ongoing anti-corruption debate after lawyer Godwin Toko responded strongly to Kasambya County MP and PLU Secretary General Daudi Kabanda’s call for tougher and more equal application of the law in graft cases.
Kabanda had argued that Uganda’s renewed anti-corruption drive, backed by President Yoweri Museveni’s State of the Nation Address and the announcement of “Operation Maliza Ufisadi” by Chief of Defence Forces General Muhoozi Kainerugaba, risks losing credibility if it relies on selective prosecution and symbolic arrests without convictions.
He insisted that all suspects, regardless of status, should face prosecution and conviction, warning against what he described as forgiveness of high-level offenders while lower-level suspects are punished.
Kabanda also emphasised that accountability must apply equally across the board, stating that the law should not distinguish between “big or small fish.”
However, Toko has dismissed parts of that argument, warning that an overly aggressive approach could undermine future legal processes and weaken long-term accountability efforts.
He argued that while the fight against corruption is necessary, it must be structured in a way that does not compromise judicial integrity or enable strategic acquittals that could block future prosecutions.
In his response, Toko said the current regime’s limitations in prosecuting corruption should not be seen as a weakness but rather as a safeguard against legal manipulation.
“The NRM regime cannot fight corruption that way &, I think it is a good thing,” Toko stated. “The bad thing would be for the regime to use the courts to corruptly acquit the corrupt in a way that another govt would then be unable to prosecute them - double jeopardy rule.”
He further argued that future administrations should retain the ability to revisit corruption cases if current prosecutions fail or are compromised, suggesting that political change could bring more effective enforcement.
“Another govt will do the prosecution and go all out when the NRM’s corrupt can't even influence the courts! That will be the real fight,” Toko said. “No politics, no witch-hunt, just going all out against the NRM’s corrupt, especially those that cannot be touched now even when their corruption is obvious!”
The remarks highlight growing tensions in Uganda’s public discourse on how to balance aggressive anti-corruption enforcement with legal safeguards and institutional continuity.
While government allies are pushing for stronger crackdowns and faster convictions, legal experts like Toko are cautioning against rushed prosecutions that could weaken future cases or politicise the judiciary.