Uganda Law Society (ULS) President Isaac Ssemakadde has launched a scathing attack on lawyer Elison Karuhanga, accusing him of “complicity through silence” following the alleged abduction of senior advocate Erias Lukwago.
In an open letter addressed to members of the legal fraternity, Ssemakadde condemned what he termed as Karuhanga’s “unforgivable silence” after Lukwago was reportedly seized from his home on June 15 by armed personnel linked to the Uganda People's Defence Forces (UPDF).
Lukwago, a former Kampala Lord Mayor and prominent government critic, is described as an “iconic defender of the Constitution.”
Ssemakadde argued that Karuhanga, who previously styled himself as “The Lawyer’s Lawyer,” failed to defend the profession at a critical moment. “Selective muteness in the face of tyranny is not neutrality; it is complicity dressed in procedural robes,” he said.
The ULS president also distanced himself from Karuhanga, revealing that their last engagement was in December 2025, during which Karuhanga allegedly expressed pressure to dissociate from the ULS’s “Radical New Bar” (RNB) stance.
The RNB faction has since adopted a hardline position rejecting neutrality in what it calls an increasingly militarised political environment.
Ssemakadde said the ULS had abandoned “performative neutrality,” insisting that the legal profession must actively defend constitutionalism.
He referenced internal reforms, including an executive directive issued in 2025, declaring that the society would no longer remain neutral amid rising cases of abductions and alleged state excesses.
The remarks also touched on broader tensions within Uganda’s legal and political landscape, with Ssemakadde warning against what he described as attempts by regime-aligned actors to co-opt sections of the Bar.
He singled out links to networks associated with Muhoozi Kainerugaba, accusing them of undermining the rule of law.