Chief Justice Alphonse Owiny-Dollo Bows Out
On January 19, 2026, a significant chapter in Uganda’s legal history closed as His Lordship Alfonse Chigamoy Owiny-Dollo officially stepped down as the Chief Justice of Uganda. Having reached the mandatory retirement age of 70, Owiny-Dollo handed over the instruments of power to his deputy, Dr. Flavian Zeija, in a ceremony at the Supreme Court that was as much a celebration of a four-decade career as it was a sober transition for the country’s third arm of government.
The retirement of a Chief Justice is always a landmark event, but Owiny-Dollo’s departure is particularly poignant. He leaves behind a Judiciary that has been radically transformed in terms of infrastructure and funding, yet one that remains at the center of intense political and social scrutiny.
A Legacy of “Alternative” Justice and Expansion
Justice Owiny-Dollo’s five-year tenure as Chief Justice (2020–2026) will arguably be defined by his aggressive pursuit of Alternative Dispute Resolution (ADR). Often referred to by his colleagues as the “Grandfather of ADR,” Owiny-Dollo championed mediation as a culturally relevant and efficient way to unclog Uganda’s notoriously backlogged court system. He believed that the Western adversarial system often left wounds unhealed, whereas ADR offered a path to reconciliation.
Beyond philosophy, his leadership saw a tangible “brick and mortar” revolution. Under his watch:
- Budgetary Growth: The Judiciary’s budget nearly doubled, rising from approximately Shs 199 billion in 2020 to over Shs 440 billion by 2026.
- Infrastructure: He oversaw the completion and commissioning of the state-of-the-art Supreme Court and Court of Appeal towers in Kampala, ensuring that the highest courts finally had a permanent, dignified home.
- Digital Transformation: The rollout of the Electronic Court Case Management Information System (ECCMIS) modernized how files are tracked, significantly reducing the “disappearance” of physical files that had long plagued the courts.
The Peacemaker and the Jurist
Before he wore the black robes of the Chief Justice, Owiny-Dollo was a man of the people and a man of peace. A delegate to the 1995 Constituent Assembly, he was one of the architects of the very Constitution that eventually mandated his retirement. His roots in Northern Uganda also saw him play a dangerous but vital role in peace building; he is famously remembered for his 2006 trek into the jungles of the DRC to meet rebel leader Joseph Kony in an attempt to end the LRA insurgency.
On the bench, he was known for his “lion-hearted” approach. He presided over the landmark 2010 Kampala Bombing trial, delivering a judgment that balanced the need for national security with strict adherence to human rights law.
Navigating Political Storms
However, no Chief Justice in a developing democracy escapes controversy. Owiny-Dollo’s tenure was tested by the 2021 Presidential Election Petition. The withdrawal of the petition by Robert Kyagulanyi (Bobi Wine) and the subsequent fallout with Justice Esther Kisaakye created a rift within the Supreme Court that Owiny-Dollo himself recently described as one of the “frosty” periods of his leadership.
His retirement comes at another sensitive moment. With President Museveni having just been declared the winner of the 2026 elections, the Supreme Court may soon be called upon to hear new election petitions. Owiny-Dollo’s departure means he will not lead that bench, leaving a vacancy that the Judicial Service Commission (JSC) is currently working to fill.
The Handover to Dr. Flavian Zeija
The man stepping into the breach, albeit in an acting capacity, is Dr. Flavian Zeija. As the Deputy Chief Justice, Zeija is no stranger to the inner workings of the system. In his remarks during the handover, Zeija praised his predecessor for leading a “team without bickering” and promised to maintain the momentum of the Judiciary Transformation Agenda.
Justice Owiny-Dollo’s retirement does not mean he is leaving the legal world entirely. In his farewell speech, he noted that “when an elder steps outside, it does not mean they have abandoned the home.” He expressed a desire to continue advocating for ADR across the continent, ensuring that his influence on African jurisprudence continues long after he has hung up his official robes.
Conclusion
A Strengthened Institution
As Alfonse Owiny-Dollo returns to his home in Patongo, Agago district, he leaves behind a Judiciary that is better funded, better housed, and more technologically advanced than the one he inherited. While challenges regarding judicial independence and public trust persist, Owiny-Dollo’s era will be remembered as one of structural fortification. The task of navigating the post-election legal landscape now falls to his successor, but the foundation they stand upon is undeniably the work of the “Grandfather of ADR.”
