Opposition leader Robert Kyagulanyi, popularly known as Bobi Wine, has criticised Judicial Service Commission (JSC) chairperson Justice Douglas Karekona Singiza over a reported endorsement of Gen. Muhoozi Kainerugaba for Uganda’s 2031 presidential election.
In a post on X, Kyagulanyi questioned whether Singiza could effectively oversee judicial discipline if he was openly participating in political activities.
The controversy follows reports that Singiza visited the Patriotic League of Uganda (PLU) offices in Nakasero, Kampala, where he reportedly endorsed Kainerugaba, who chairs the organisation and serves as Chief of Defence Forces of the Uganda People’s Defence Forces.
The account circulating on X, attributed to PLU mobilisation director and MP Michael Mawanda, reportedly includes photographs of Singiza signing documents connected to the endorsement exercise. The details of the visit and the nature of the documents could not be independently confirmed from the official online sources reviewed.
In his reaction, Kyagulanyi accused Singiza of compromising the independence and impartiality expected of a senior judicial figure.
“Uganda’s justice system hits a new low with the head of the Judicial Service Commission Singiza Douglas openly endorsing Museveni’s brutal, criminal son!” Kyagulanyi wrote.
He questioned how the commission could discipline judicial officers accused of breaching professional standards if its chairperson was himself involved in partisan political activity.
“How is that body expected to discipline judicial officers who violate the Code when its very head is breaching the code with impunity?” he asked.
Kyagulanyi also questioned whether citizens who oppose the government could expect fair treatment in the justice system, citing allegations of abductions and torture. Those claims were part of his political reaction and were not independently established in the post.
Singiza is listed on the Judicial Service Commission’s official website as chairperson of the constitutional body, which is mandated to recruit judicial officers, regulate their conduct and serve as a link between the Judiciary and the public.
The commission’s responsibilities include disciplinary oversight, making questions about the conduct of its leadership particularly sensitive.
The JSC’s Citizens’ Handbook outlines judicial principles including independence, impartiality, integrity and propriety. It states that judicial officers should conduct themselves in ways that preserve public confidence in the integrity of the administration of justice.
However, the precise provisions applicable to Singiza in his capacity as JSC chairperson, and whether the reported endorsement amounts to a breach of a specific rule, require clarification from the commission or an authoritative legal source.
The reported incident comes as the PLU intensifies efforts to mobilise support for Kainerugaba’s proposed 2031 presidential bid. The organisation has held endorsement activities involving politicians, business figures and community groups across the country.
On October 2, 2026, for example, Agriculture Minister Frank Tumwebaze led a delegation of MPs from the Tooro sub-region to the PLU offices, where they endorsed Kainerugaba for the presidency, according to reports by New Vision.
The endorsement campaign has drawn public debate about the political ambitions of Kainerugaba, who remains a serving military officer, and the involvement of public officials in activities supporting his proposed candidacy.
The latest controversy raises questions about the boundaries between personal political expression and the standards of impartiality expected of senior judicial officeholders.
The Judicial Service Commission had not, in the official online material reviewed for this report, issued a statement addressing the reported endorsement. Singiza’s response was also not available.
The reported endorsement and the criticism surrounding it have not, by themselves, established that Singiza breached a specific legal or professional rule.
