Gratifying season for East African court judges

Arusha. It is a happy season for the serving and recently re-assigned judges of the East African Court of Justice (EACJ).

While Principal Judge Monica Mugenyi has been elevated as a Judge of the Court of Appeal of Uganda, her deputy Dr Faustin Ntezilyayo has been appointed the Chief Justice of Rwanda.

At the same time, Judge Isaac Lenaola, who served the regional Court until 2016, was this week declared the Jurist of the Year Award winner in Kenya.

“We commend her services. She has greatly raised the reputation of the Court and enhanced its jurisprudence in the region and globally,” said Justice Dr Emmanuel Ugirashebuja, the President of the Court of Lady Justice Mugenyi.

Her Lordship was appointed a judge to the Court in December 2013 by East African Community (EAC) Heads of State and consequently designated the Principal Judge in July 2015.

In her tenure as the Principal Judge of the First Instance Division, she had presided over a number of landmark cases and subsequent rulings that touched nerves across the region. These included a case on the abuse of office by the former Speaker of the East African Legislative Assembly (Eala) Ms Margaret Zziwa who was replaced after being found “guilty’. “Justice Mugenyi’s new elevation to the Court of Appeal is an indicator of her hard work in the Judiciary of Uganda,” Dr Ugirashebuja said.

The Lady Justice was sworn in by President Yoweri Museveni as a Judge of Uganda’s Court of Appeal ion Tuesday. Before joining EACJ, she was a judge in the High Court.

Only last week Dr Faustin Ntezilyayo, EACJ deputy principal judge (First Instance Division) was appointed the Chief Justice of Rwanda. He has been a judge of the EA Court from April 2013 and designated the deputy principal judge in July last year, a position he retained until a fortnight ago.