Three Muslims among those who failed Judiciary interviews

The only candidate who passed the interview was, however, rejected by members of the Judicial Service Commission on account of his conduct.

Four Muslims are among several people who had applied for judicial jobs but failed to make it to the final list forwarded to President Museveni.

All candidates were required to apply for the jobs then go through interviews and upon passing, their names would be forwarded to Mr Museveni who would then send them to Parliament for vetting.

It emerged yesterday that three of the four Muslim candidates did not impress in the interviews but one passed. However, the one who passed was dropped after some individuals in the Judiciary petitioned the Judicial Service Commission over the candidate’s conduct.

This revelation was made to the Parliament Appointments Committee by the head of the Judicial Service Commission, Justice James Ogoola, the former Principal Judge. “We shall recommend to the President [Museveni] what we have got from our interaction with the Commission. We cannot bend the laws for the sake of fulfilling the petitioners’ prayers,” a source said.

The committee, which is chaired by Speaker Rebecca Kadaga, sits in camera. Justice Ogoola’s appearance followed the petition by Muslim MPs, who, through their Imam, Latiff Ssebaggala, had protested the appointments because none of the 28 was a Muslim.

Petition
In their petition early this month, the MPs protested what they called “discrimination and marginalisation” in the appointment of the judges and demanded that the vetting process be stopped until further notice.

Before Justice Ogoola’s revelations, Speaker Kadaga had informed Mr Ssebaggala that Mr Museveni had promised to send at least two Muslim appointees to the committee before closure of vetting tomorrow. “We think it’s deliberate that he didn’t name any Muslim because we have evidence that they sat for the interviews and passed,” Mr Ssebaggala said moments before Justice Ogoola’s reported revelations. He added: “According to the information I have received from the Speaker, I can now say the names are on their way here.”

The MP’s previous petition to block the vetting of members of the Citizenship and Immigration Board last year yielded results as Mr Museveni halted the process and appointed a Muslim on the board, Mr Faiswal Kikulukunyu.

The committee later interacted with appointee Richard Buteera, the current Director of Public Prosecutions, who has been taken to the Court of Appeal and Lady Justice Stella Arach who is moving from Court of Appeal to the Supreme court.

The sources, however, remained tight-lipped on the performance of the candidates. The MPs also interacted with justices Solome Bbosa, Faith Mwondha, Eldard Mwanguhya, Apio Aweri, and Geoffrey Kiryabwiire, all transferred to the Court of Appeal. The committee also met with Prof. Lilian Tibatemwa, the former Makerere University Deputy VC in-charge of Academics, who is appointed to the Court of Appeal.

snaturinda@ug.nationmedia.com