Uganda Law Society President Isaac Ssemakadde has called for accountability over historical atrocities committed during Uganda’s past conflicts, warning that political credentials and claims of national liberation should not shield perpetrators of serious crimes from justice.
In a statement addressing a viral post by Herbert Matanda, Ssemakadde urged Ugandans to move beyond partisan arguments about the origins of the National Resistance Army (NRA) insurgency and confront the country’s history through the principles of the rule of law, accountability and human rights.
He acknowledged that Uganda’s post-independence history was marked by grave violations, including atrocities in the Luwero Triangle and the Mukura incident, arguing that such events should not be overlooked in narratives celebrating the country’s political transformation.
“The state-sanctioned violence that birthed the current system cannot be swept under the rug of ‘liberation’,” Ssemakadde said.
He cautioned against selective remembrance of historical events, noting that condemning abuses committed by previous governments while overlooking violations by subsequent administrations undermines the pursuit of justice.
According to the lawyer, accountability must apply equally to state security agencies and armed rebel groups, regardless of their political affiliations or historical roles.
“Whether it is the NRA of yesterday, the LRA of the north, or the security agencies of today, when state or rebel actors commit crimes against humanity, it is the solemn duty of the legal fraternity and the citizenry to demand justice,” he said.
The Lord’s Resistance Army (LRA), which operated mainly in northern Uganda, was responsible for a prolonged insurgency that left thousands of people dead and displaced many others. The conflict remains one of the most significant chapters in the country’s recent history.
Ssemakadde also criticised what he described as a political culture in which former rebels who helped shape Uganda’s leadership have subsequently presided over systems accused of abuses and failures in public accountability.
He argued that claims of having restored peace should not be used to excuse alleged corruption or the misuse of public resources intended for essential services such as healthcare and education.
“The law does not care about your bush war credentials, your current office, or your historical grievances. It demands that we account for every single life lost, from Bulemezi to Kasese, from Mukura to the north,” he said.
The ULS president further invoked former presidents Milton Obote, Idi Amin and Tito Okello, arguing that historical grievances should be addressed through legal processes rather than political comparisons over which leaders or rebel movements were more justified.
He said the responsibility for pursuing truth, justice and reparations now rests with Ugandans and the country’s current and future leadership.
“No struggle justifies the murder of innocent Ugandans,” Ssemakadde said, urging leaders to uphold the Constitution and ensure that violations are investigated regardless of who is responsible.
His remarks place renewed emphasis on the question of how Uganda should confront its history of political violence while strengthening accountability under the current constitutional order.