Kakuru's Early Retirement Was Denied in his Favour - Chief Justice

The Chief Justice Alfonse Owiny-Dollo has said the Judiciary did everything possible to save Justice Kenneth Kakuru’s including denying him early retirement so that the government could cater for his medical bills.

According to the head of the Judiciary, they spent Shs800m on treating Justice Kakuru locally and abroad over the last two years, something the CJ noted Mr Kakuru and the family wouldn't have managed.

"We did everything possible with the family and Judiciary’s Permanent Secretary to ensure that we got funds to treat him in the best hospitals. Collectively, the government of Uganda and the Judiciary spent Shs800m to treat Justice Kakuru,” Justice Dollo said last evening during a special court sitting at the Judiciary headquarters in honour of the deceased.

Court of Appeal Judge Kakuru succumbed to prostate cancer on Tuesday at Aga Khan Hospital in Kenya.

The Chief Justice said he declined to forward the letter that Justice Kakuru had written to President Museveni through him for early retirement on account of ill health, noting that allowing Justice Kakuru to retire earlier would make him redundant and he would sell everything he had to treat himself.

The chairperson of the Judicial Service Commission (JSC), Justice Benjamin Kabiito, had earlier told mourners of how Justice Kakuru had confided in him of how he intended to retire early from service due to ill health.

He said Justice Kakuru argued that he did not want to continue being paid a salary when his productivity was low.

“During our 10-year tenure as a commission, no judicial officer had come to us to make such an accountability statement. He was fully prepared to account to the Judiciary, the people of Uganda from whom judicial power is derived. This is an enduring legacy,” Justice Kabiito said in his eulogy.

Ms Samantha Mwesigwa Kakuru, one of the deceased’s children, told the mourners of how her father loved his work and that two weeks before his death, he sought her assistance in typing a judgment that turned out to be his last.

“Before he flew to Nairobi for treatment, he called me and he dictated for me notes as I typed out a judgment, which eventually became his last. He was weak but he loved work,” Ms Mwesigwa said.

Deputy Chief Justice Richard Buteera, who chaired the special court session, applauded Justice Kakuru for being a workaholic and that even when he was sick, he could conduct work via zoom.