President Yoweri Kaguta Museveni has commended Chief Justice Alfonse Chigamoy Owiny-Dollo for his unwavering commitment to truth, integrity, and the transformation of Uganda’s justice system.
Speaking during a thanksgiving ceremony held in Patong Town Council, Agago District, President Museveni praised the Chief Justice for rejecting divisive tribal rhetoric during the insurgency years in Northern Uganda.
“Kony was lying to the people of Northern Uganda that NRM hates them, but Hon. Justice Alfonse is among those who saw the truth, and that is perhaps why we have worked together all these years,” the President said.
President Museveni applauded the Chief Justice’s promotion of Alternative Dispute Resolution (ADR), describing it as a vital tool that has simplified justice and made it more accessible to ordinary Ugandans.
“I salute his contribution to transforming the Judiciary,” Museveni noted, adding that the judiciary in earlier years was “childish and unserious.”
The President also used the event to emphasize the importance of household-level wealth creation. He cited the example of a farmer, Joseph Ijaara in Serere District, who earns over UGX 800 million annually from poultry and dairy farming on just two acres of land.
President Museveni reiterated the NRM’s seven-point wealth creation strategy, encouraging Ugandans with small plots of land to invest in coffee, fruits, pasture, food crops, poultry, piggery, and fish farming.
On the national security front, he recalled advising former President Milton Obote to build a non-tribal army—a suggestion he said was ignored and later led to national instability.
“Today, when the UPDF recruits, it recruits from all districts,” Museveni emphasized.
In his address, Chief Justice Owiny-Dollo expressed gratitude to the President for increasing the Judiciary’s budget and supporting its independence.
“You have thanked me for transforming the Judiciary, but it is the President who made it possible,” he said.
Reflecting on his upcoming retirement in six months, Owiny-Dollo said his wealth lies not in possessions but in people and relationships.
“When I retire, I will come back and help transform my people,” he pledged.
He also dismissed perceptions that President Museveni is warlike, saying he witnessed the President’s patience during the Lord’s Resistance Army conflict.
“He is a peaceful person who only dislikes injustice,” the Chief Justice remarked.
Deputy Chief Justice Dr. Flavian Zeija praised Owiny-Dollo’s efforts in championing alternative justice systems, noting his recent academic achievements from Pepperdine University and his chairmanship of the African Chief Justices Forum on Alternative Dispute Resolution.
Minister for Relief, Disaster Preparedness, and Refugees, Hilary Onek, and Agago Woman MP Akello Akori also paid tribute to the Chief Justice’s legacy and called for support in addressing regional development issues, including compensation for victims of cattle rustling and insurgency.
The thanksgiving ceremony drew government leaders, judiciary officials, and local citizens in a celebration of the Chief Justice’s leadership, humility, and dedication to justice and national unity.
