Uganda Law Society breaks political neutrality, endorses opposition candidates for 2026 elections

• ULS has formally ended its political neutrality ahead of the 2026 general elections.

• The Society endorsed Bobi Wine, Erias Lukwago, selected MPs, and opposition platforms including NUP and PFF.

• ULS says the move is necessary to defend the Constitution, judicial independence, and the rule of law.

The Uganda Law Society (ULS) has formally abandoned its long-standing tradition of political neutrality and announced open endorsements of selected opposition candidates ahead of the 2026 general elections, citing what it calls an unprecedented breakdown of the rule of law.

In an Executive Order dated December 21, 2025, ULS President Isaac K. Ssemakadde said the decision was taken after careful consultation with the Radical New Bar Governing Council and in response to what the Society described as “extraordinary circumstances confronting the legal profession and the nation.”

“Neutrality has reached a point where it now equates to complicity,” the order states, pointing to what ULS describes as excessive militarisation of civilian life, entrenched corruption, and the capture of state institutions, including the judiciary.

The Society accused security agencies of being used to silence dissent through unlawful arrests, abductions, and the trial of civilians in military courts. According to the order, these actions have undermined constitutionalism and eroded public confidence in the justice system.

“The judiciary has been systematically undermined through coercion, rigged appointments, and manipulated rulings,” the document reads, adding that courts have increasingly become “a rubber stamp of militarism and political repression.”

ULS also raised concern over the intimidation of lawyers, journalists, activists, and ordinary citizens who attempt to exercise their constitutional rights. The Society said remaining silent in the face of such developments would amount to a betrayal of its mandate.

As a result, ULS announced it would “unequivocally endorse” a number of candidates and political platforms for the 2026 elections. These include National Unity Platform (NUP) leader Robert Kyagulanyi Ssentamu, popularly known as Bobi Wine, for President; Kampala Lord Mayor Erias Lukwago for continued leadership at City Hall; and Dr Obuku Ekwaro Anthony for Member of Parliament, Oyam South.

The Society also endorsed all candidates from NUP and the People’s Front for Freedom (PFF) contesting at presidential, parliamentary, and local government levels, as well as lawyers and law students who are standing for elective office.

“These endorsed candidates and platforms represent the foremost credible force for restoring constitutional order, accountable governance, and the independence of institutions,” the order says.

ULS went further to condemn the Museveni-led NRM government “in the strongest possible terms” for what it described as decades of impunity and over-militarisation of politics. It called for a “total political reset,” including demilitarisation of civilian affairs and the liberation of captured institutions.

The Society has urged its members, the wider legal community, civil society organisations, and “patriotic Ugandans” to mobilise in support of the endorsed candidates. It also encouraged voters to remain within the lawful vicinity of polling stations during voting and counting to safeguard the electoral process.

“The legal profession will no longer stand idle while the rule of law is extinguished,” Ssemakadde said, describing the 2026 elections as a defining moment to reclaim the country and restore professional dignity.

The Executive Order takes immediate effect and will remain in force until the conclusion of the 2026 general elections or until revoked by lawful authority.