Exiled lawyer Kakwenza Rukirabashaija has launched a scathing attack on Deputy Speaker Thomas Tayebwa, accusing Parliament of failing to defend the Constitution and allowing systemic disregard for court orders.
In a detailed message responding to Tayebwa’s recent remarks on UBC, Kakwenza criticised the Deputy Speaker for suggesting that Ugandans in exile fled to the West to seek sympathy and funding.
Tayebwa had contrasted them with opposition figures such as Kizza Besigye and the late Muhammad Ssegirinya, whom he described as law-abiding citizens who remained in the country and trusted the courts
Kakwenza rejected that framing, arguing that trust in the judiciary is undermined by the state’s selective enforcement of court decisions.
“Your confidence in Uganda’s courts is fascinating… Uganda has developed a more imaginative legal tradition where a judicial order is treated as an opening bid in negotiations with the security services,” he wrote.
“Release orders become optional. Bail decisions are respected only when they coincide with executive preferences.”
He said the deeper crisis lies not in judicial errors but in the failure to enforce rulings.
“The constitutional crisis is not that judges occasionally err. It is that obedience to judges has become discretionary. Parliament has watched this evolution with remarkable composure.”
The exiled lawyer further faulted Parliament for what he termed institutional inaction, insisting that the Deputy Speaker’s office carries a duty beyond presiding over debates.
“The office you occupy has a constitutional purpose. It is not a commentary booth… If there is persistent institutional failure, Parliament is expected to identify it, debate it, and remedy it through legislation.”
Kakwenza also highlighted gaps in Uganda’s foreign service, noting the absence of a comprehensive legal framework to regulate diplomatic operations, unlike in countries such as Kenya and South Africa.
“Uganda operates more than thirty diplomatic missions across the world without a modern legal framework… Appointments of political rejects remain the norm while career diplomats remain the exception.”
He cited repeated controversies involving Ugandan embassies, including rent disputes, financial mismanagement, and administrative lapses, and questioned Parliament’s silence on long-overdue reforms.
On legislative priorities, Kakwenza accused Parliament of acting swiftly only when advancing executive interests or restricting civic space.
“Parliament never appears to suffer legislative fatigue when restricting citizens. Exhaustion becomes visible only when institutional reform is required.”
He also defended Ugandans in the diaspora, emphasising their economic contribution through remittances and their constitutional right to speak on national issues.
“Citizenship does not expire at Entebbe Airport… Exile alters geography, it does not extinguish constitutional rights.”
Kakwenza urged Parliament to reclaim its oversight role, warning that history will judge leaders not by rhetoric but by their response to injustice.