Africa-Press – Uganda. President Museveni has Thursday appointed Justice Flavian Zeija as the new Chief Justice of Uganda.
Upon successful vetting, Zeija will replace Justice Owiny Dollo, who retired this month after attaining the mandatory retirement age of 70.In a statement dated Thursday, January 22, 2026, the President said the appointment was made in line with the Constitution and on the advice of the Judicial Service Commission.
“In exercise of the powers vested in the President by Article 142(1) of the 1995 Constitution, and acting on the advice of the Judicial Service Commission, H.E. Yoweri Kaguta Museveni has appointed Hon. Justice Flavian Zeija as the Chief Justice of the Republic of Uganda,” the statement reads.State House added that the appointment followed parliamentary approval of Justice Zeija’s name, as required by law.
“The appointment follows the submission of Hon. Justice Flavian Zeija’s name to the Parliament of Uganda for approval, which Parliament duly granted in accordance with the Constitution,” the statement further reads.
Justice Zeija, has been serving as the Deputy Chief Justice, a position he assumed in February 2025.The Chief Justice is the head of the Judiciary and the Supreme Court, and is responsible for overseeing the administration of justice in the country.
On Thursday, the Parliamentary Committee on Appointments, chaired by Speaker Anita Annet Among, embarked on vetting Justice Zeija, after being nominated by President Yoweri Museveni for appointment as the new Chief Justice of Uganda.
Speaker Among confirmed the committee’s proceedings today, emphasizing that the process aligns with parliamentary procedures.
Upon successful vetting, Dr Flavian Zeija will bring to the office of Chief Justice a long career in legal practice, academia and judicial service.
But who is Flavian Zeija the newly appointed Chief Justice?
Zeija, 56, has been serving as Deputy Chief Justice of the Supreme Court since February 2025, a position he assumed after years of steady rise through the ranks of the Judiciary.
Dr Zeija began his legal career in 1998 as a legal assistant at Kwesigabo, Bamwine, Walubiri & Company Advocates in Kampala. He later worked in the banking and microfinance sector, serving as manager for legal and recovery at Tropical Africa Bank between 2002 and 2003, before joining FINCA Uganda Limited as legal counsel.
Prior to his appointment to the Bench, he was the managing partner at Zeija, Mukasa & Company Advocates.
Alongside legal practice, Dr Zeija built a strong academic profile, teaching law at Uganda Christian University, Makerere University and Makerere University Business School (MUBS). At MUBS, he was the founding head of the Department of Business Law.
He was appointed a judge of the High Court in 2016 and deployed as Resident Judge of the Mbarara High Court Circuit, the largest judicial circuit in the country. In December 2019, while serving in Mbarara, he was named Principal Judge.
Dr Zeija is a seasoned lawyer and academic, holding a Doctor of Philosophy in Law from the University of Dar es Salaam. He earned both his Bachelor and Master of Laws degrees from Makerere University, a Diploma in Legal Practice from the Law Development Centre, and a Master of Business Administration from Uganda Martyrs University.
Within the legal fraternity, he is widely regarded as a jurist with a deep commitment to access to justice, respect for the rule of law and a strong sense of humanity.
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