A brewing controversy within the Uganda Law Society (ULS) has escalated into a criminal investigation, with police summoning two members—Geoffrey Turyamusiima and Philip Munabi—over allegations of forging documents to expel the organization’s president and vice president.
According to a statement by ULS Vice President Anthony Asiimwe, dated February 23, 2025, falsified documents began circulating on WhatsApp groups in late 2024, purportedly signed by Munabi and bearing the ULS logo. These documents claimed the expulsion of ULS President Isaac Ssemakadde and Vice President Asiimwe, who asserts that no such resolutions were passed by the ULS Council.
Ssemakadde was apparently elected in September 2024, at the ULS headquarters located on Acacia Avenue in Kampala.
Asiimwe alleges that Turyamusiima, a Central Region representative, and Munabi, the ULS Secretary, orchestrated the forgery. The documents were allegedly shared via WhatsApp and email, prompting Asiimwe to warn IT officer Kenneth Psika against complying with “illegal instructions.” Multiple ULS members, including regional representatives Eddie Nangulu (Northern) and Samuel Muhumuza (Western), reportedly expressed shock at the “fake and illegal” nature of the documents.
The Criminal Investigations Directorate (CID) at Kira Road Police Division has since intervened, issuing invitations to Turyamusiima and Munabi to answer charges of *“malicious information and forgery”* (SD Ref/CRB: GEF-058/2025). Both were directed to appear before investigators on April 20, 2025.
The scandal highlights internal tensions within the ULS, a statutory body regulating Uganda’s legal profession. Mila emphasized that expulsions require approval at a general meeting, dismissing the circulated documents as “fabrications.” The incident raises concerns about governance and digital misuse within professional bodies, with authorities now tasked to verify the authenticity of the disputed records.
As investigations proceed, the ULS aims to reassure members of its operational legitimacy while distancing itself from the alleged misconduct. The case underscores the legal ramifications of forging institutional documents, with potential charges under Uganda’s Penal Code Act for forgery and cybercrime.
