Chief Justice-Prime Minister reconciliation is commendable

The 15th conference of the parties to the United Nations belatedly gets underway today in Montréal, Canada, with the consensus view that we are now living in an age of extinction. Uganda, a party to the convention on biological diversity since December of 1993, has in recent times had first-hand experiences of biodiversity loss in some shape or form.

The country has just come through yet another dwindling harvest season of grasshoppers.  Human behaviour—notably deforestation and climate change—is blamed for this biodiversity loss. While deforestation has deprived the insects of a natural habitat, the vagaries of weather have upset their life cycles. This has had a domino effect of loss perpetuating loss.

Hugs and shaking of hands filled the High Court on Wednesday when Prime Minister Robinah Nabbanja paid a courtesy call onto Chief Justice Alfonse Owiny-Dollo at his official chambers in Kampala.

The hugs and handshakes were an outward expression that the two principals had agreed to bury the hatchet and work harmoniously together going forward for the common man whom they hold the offices for.

“We have agreed that we pursue more harmonious methodology to serve our people who need our service, for whom we hold these offices. To serve them better, the Prime Minister will continue with her outreach and political programmes. That is her mandate...” Chief Justice Dollo said.

The reconciliation between these top government officials, brings to an end bickering between them that has been going on for some weeks now.

This was after the premier was accused of attacking the independence of the Judiciary when she stormed Mengo Court last month and rescued a widow who had an outstanding debt of Shs2.8m.

What transpired between the two high-ranking government officials was a sign of humility and we applaud them for that.

We applaud them because if the bickering had dragged on, then the same strained relationship would have spilled over to the innocent citizens at the grassroots, resulting into the interrupted the service flow.

During the joint press conference shortly after a closed-door meeting by the same officials, they both agreed that the premier would continue with her outreach and political programmes in the country and whenever she discovers anything that pertains to the administration of justice, she will alert the Chief Justice for possible redress.

The aforementioned pledge shows that now the premier knows her lane of operation and that she will respect the independence of the Judiciary, which is guaranteed under the Constitution.

If everyone does that which they are mandated to do and doesn’t interfere in the operations of other government agencies and institutions, we shall have a smoother running of the three arms of government.