Ugandan Court of Appeal Mourns the Loss of Justice Kenneth Kakuru

• Justice Kenneth Kakuru, a valued member of the Ugandan Court of Appeal, passed away on March 8, 2023, at the age of 65 after undergoing treatment for prostate cancer in Nairobi.
• Chief Justice Alfonse Owiny-Dollo expressed his condolences and praised Justice Kakuru for his contribution to the bench as a human rights defender.
• Justice Kakuru was known for his dissenting judgment in the ‘age limit case’, where he was the only one of five judges to rule that the amendment of the Constitution in 2017 to remove lower and upper age limits for presidential and local government candidates was done illegally.
• Before joining the Judiciary, Justice Kakuru distinguished himself as an environmental rights attorney and an expert in public interest litigation through his firm, Kakuru and Company Advocates.
• Justice Kakuru had applied for early retirement last year due to his health condition, which he revealed would require management and treatment for the rest of his life.

The Ugandan Court of Appeal has lost a valued member as Justice Kenneth Kakuru passed away on March 8, 2023. He died at the Aga Khan Hospital in Nairobi, Kenya, where he had been undergoing treatment for prostate cancer. He was 65 years old.

In a statement released by Judiciary spokesperson Jameson Karemani, Chief Justice Alfonse Owiny-Dollo expressed his condolences to the family and praised Justice Kakuru for his contribution to the bench. “Justice Kakuru has been a valued member of the bench since his appointment on July 4, 2013, and will be greatly missed,” the statement read. “As Judiciary, we shall surely miss him.”

Justice Kakuru was known for his actions and judgments as a human rights defender. He gained fame for his dissenting judgement in the ‘age limit case’, where he was the only one of five judges to rule that the amendment of the Constitution in 2017 to remove lower and upper age limits for presidential and local government candidates was done illegally. He based his ruling on a number of factors, primary among them being the lack of consultation of the public during the process of the amendment.

Before joining the Judiciary, Justice Kakuru practised law through his firm, Kakuru and Company Advocates, where he distinguished himself as an environmental rights attorney and an expert in public interest litigation. He held a bachelor’s degree in law and a master’s of law from Makerere University, a postgraduate diploma in legal practice from the Law Development Centre, and a master’s degree in educational policy, planning, and development from Kyambogo University.
Last year, Justice Kakuru had applied for early retirement due to a health condition he was dealing with. In an interview with the Monitor, he said, “Yes, it is true, I have applied for early retirement on account of health. I have been told that the management and treatment of this condition will go on for the rest of my life.”

The family has not yet released details of the funeral arrangements. Justice Kakuru is the latest high-ranking Ugandan to move to Nairobi for specialised treatment, joining Kampala Lord Mayor Elias Lukwago, East African Community Minister Rebecca Kadaga, and former Central Bank Governor Emmanuel Mutebile.

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