George Kanyeihamba

George Wilson Kanyeihamba (11 August 1939 – 14 July 2025) was a Ugandan author, politician and judge who was a cabinet minister and member of parliament. He was also a chair of the Legal Committee of the Constituent Assembly that made the 1995 Constitution.{{cite web |title=George W. Kanyeihamba |url=https://www.africanbookscollective.com/authors-editors/george-w.-kanyeihamba |website=African Books Collective |access-date=29 May 2021}} He was appointed a member of the Supreme Court of Uganda in 1997 and retired in November 2009. He had earlier served as minister of commerce, minister of justice, and attorney-general,{{cite book |last1=Oloka-Onyango |first1=Joseph |title=When courts do politics: public interest law and litigation in East Africa |date=2017 |publisher=Cambridge Scholars Publishing |location=Newcastle, England |isbn=9781443864091 |page=281}} all in President Yoweri Museveni's administration. He held a Ph.D. in law from the University of Warwick.{{Cite book|last=Kanyeihamba|first=George W|title=The Blessings and Joy of Being Who You Are|publisher=Marianum Press|year=2012|isbn=9789970907502|location=Kisubi Entebbe|pages=30}} In 2008, Warwick awarded him an honorary LLD.{{cite web |title=Honorary degrees for experts on Heart, DNA, Shakespeare, & Holocaust aftermath |url=https://warwick.ac.uk/newsandevents/pressreleases/honorary_degrees_for_experts_on_heart_dna_shakespeare__holocaust_aftermath1/ |work=University of Warwick |access-date=25 May 2021}}

Kanyeihamba was one of the three supreme court justices who ruled that the re-election of President Museveni in 2006 was fraudulent enough to be nullified.{{cite news |last1=Nganda |first1=Ibrahim Ssemujju |title=Why I ruled to overturn Museveni 3rd term - Kanyeihamba |url=https://www.observer.ug/news-headlines/4428-why-i-ruled-to-overturn-museveni-3rd-term-kanyeihamba |access-date=25 May 2021 |work=The Observer |date=26 July 2009}} Thereafter he lost his post as judge of the African Court on Human and Peoples' Rights{{cite journal |last1=Lyons |first1=Scott |title=The African Court on Human and People's Rights |journal=ASIL Insights |date=19 September 2006 |volume=10 |issue=24}} and commentators believe that his stand in that election petition cost him his job.{{cite news |title=Uganda's government accused of blocking the re-election of judge to African court |url=https://www.voanews.com/archive/ugandas-government-accused-blocking-re-election-judge-african-court |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210525094324/https://www.voanews.com/archive/ugandas-government-accused-blocking-re-election-judge-african-court |url-status=dead |archive-date=25 May 2021 |access-date=25 May 2021 |publisher=VOA |date=27 October 2009}}

He was critical of the Government of Uganda when armed men invaded the premises of the High Court of Uganda to rearrest treason suspects that had been released on bail by the court. The Constitutional Court has since ruled that the invasion of the court premises was unconstitutional.{{cite book |title=Ugandan Judges: George W. Kanyeihamba, Anup Singh Choudry, Laeticia Kikonyogo, Martin Stephen Egonda-Ntende, Benjamin Joseph Odoki |date=29 May 2010 |publisher=Books LLC |isbn=9781157289791 |url=https://www.betterworldbooks.com/product/detail/ugandan-judges-george-w-kanyeihamba-anup-singh-choudry-laeticia-kikonyogo-martin-stephen-egonda-1157289797 |access-date=25 May 2021}}

Background

George Wilson Kanyeihamba was born on 11 August 1939.{{Cite book|title=Kanyeihamba The Incredible: His Life, Work, Love for Human Rights, Rule of Law and Constitutionalism in Prose and Photographs|publisher=MicarPrint|year=2020|isbn=9789970907533|location=Entebbe Uganda|pages=1}} in Kinaba in the Kinkizi District of the Kigezi Region.{{Cite book|last=Kanyeihamba|first=George William|title=Kanyeihamba: The Women I Have Loved|publisher=MICARPRINT|year=2021|isbn=9789913994156|location=Kampala|pages=15–17|language=english}} He was the last born and eleventh child of Zakaliya Bafwokworora and Kyenda Malyamu Kyakundwa. He attended Hamurwa Church School, Nyaruhanga Anglican Church Primary School, Nyakatare Church School, Kigezi High School, Busoga College Mwiri, and Norwich City College. He graduated with a Bachelor of Laws from Portsmouth University In the 1970's, he was awarded the degree of Doctor of Laws from the University of Warwick in the United Kingdom. Kanyeihamba died on 14th July 2025.{{Cite web |title=Prof. George Kanyeihamba is dead {{!}} Pulse Uganda |url=https://www.pulse.ug/articles/news/prof-george-kanyeihamba-is-dead-2025071406283062610 |access-date=2025-07-14 |website=www.pulse.ug |language=en}}{{Cite web |date=2025-07-14 |title=Retired Supreme Court judge George Kanyeihamba dies |url=https://www.monitor.co.ug/uganda/news/national/retired-supreme-court-judge-george-kanyeihamba-dies-5117308 |access-date=2025-07-14 |website=Monitor |language=en}}

Career

Kanyeihamba was also the chancellor of both the Kampala International University and Kabale University.{{cite book |last1=Kanyeihamba |first1=George W. |title=The blessings and joy of being who you are |date=2012 |publisher=Marianum Press Ltd |isbn=9789970907502 |location=Kisubi, Entebbe, Uganda |page=405}} {{cite web |title=Address by Chief Guest Honourable Justice Professor Dr G.W. Kanyeihamba |url=https://staging.aku.edu/convocation/ug/Pages/speech-cg-2011.aspx |access-date=25 May 2021 |work=The Aga Khan University }} Additionally, he held the following positions:

Member of the Foundation for Human Rights Initiative
Chairman of The Committee on Judges' Terms And Conditions Of Service{{cite news |last1=Kagumire |first1=Rosebell |date=7 November 2005 |title=Details of Kanyeihamba's resignation emerge |publisher=Uganda Radio Network |agency=Uganda Radio Network |url=https://ugandaradionetwork.com/story/details-of-kanyeihambas-resignation-emerge |access-date=25 May 2021}}
Legal Adviser to the President of Uganda on Human Rights and International Affairs{{cite web |title=Justice George W. Kanyeihamba – Uganda |url=https://www.african-court.org/wpafc/justice-george-w-kanyeihamba-uganda/ |access-date=25 May 2021 |publisher=African Court on Human and Peoples’ Rights}}
Chairman of the board of trustees of the Kabale University Chairman, Legal and Drafting Committee of the Constituent Assembly
Chair of the International Commission of Jurists Advisory Panel of Eminent Commonwealth Judicial Experts{{cite web |title=Report of the advisory panel of eminent Commonwealth judicial experts |url=http://www.commonlii.org/ke/other/KECKRC/2002/8.html |access-date=25 May 2021 |publisher=Commonwealth Legal Information Institute}}

Teaching and authorship

On completion of his undergraduate and professional courses, Kanyeihamba was appointed Lecturer at Portsmouth College, now the University of Portsmouth. Later on, he was appointed State Attorney with special responsibilities for teaching law to professional classes and for the London External Degree undergraduates at the Nsamizi Law School in Entebbe which later became the Law Development Centre.

Kanyeihamba worked as a lecturer in law at Lanchester Polytechnic, now Coventry University, and at the University of Wales in Cardiff.

He authored and co-authored several journal articles and books;

=Articles=

Legalism and Politics in East Africa: The Dilemma of the Court of Appeal for East Africa published in January 1973 in Transition No. 43, pp. 43–54.{{cite journal |last1=Katende |first1=J. W. |last2=Kanyeihamba |first2=George W. |title=Legalism and Politics in East Africa: The Dilemma of the Court of Appeal for East Africa |journal=Transition |date=January 1973 |volume=43 |issue=43 |pages=43–54 |doi=10.2307/2935148 |jstor=2935148 |url=https://www.jstor.org/stable/2935148 |access-date=29 May 2021|url-access=subscription }}
Urban planning law in East Africa With special reference to Uganda published in January 1973 in Progress and Planning volume 2 pages 1-83.{{cite web |title=Urban planning law in East Africa With special reference to Uganda |url=https://www.researchgate.net/publication/248512433 |website=Researchgate |access-date=29 May 2021}}
Law in urban planning and development in East Africa published in January 1974. Thesis (Ph.D.)--University of Warwick.{{cite web |title=Law in urban planning and development in East Africa |url=https://www.researchgate.net/publication/35478047 |website=Researchgate |publisher=University of Warwick |access-date=29 May 2021}}
Urban planning law in East Africa published in December 1974 in Progress in Planning volume 2 pages 1-83.{{cite journal |last1=Kanyeihamba |first1=George W |title=Urban planning law in East Africa: with special reference to Uganda |journal=Progress in Planning |date=December 1974 |volume=2 |page=1 |doi=10.1016/0305-9006(74)90005-1 |url=https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/abs/pii/0305900674900051 |access-date=29 May 2021|url-access=subscription }}
Book reviews and notes published by The law Teacher in January 1977 volume 11 issue 1.{{cite journal |last1=Renton |first1=Bruce |title=Book reviews and notes |journal=The Law Teacher |date=1977 |volume=11 |issue=1 |page=62 |doi=10.1080/03069400.1977.9992467 |url=https://www.tandfonline.com/doi/citedby/10.1080/03069400.1977.9992467?scroll=top&needAccess=true |access-date=29 May 2021|url-access=subscription }}
Improving the Standards of Human Rights and Refugee Protection in Africa was published in May 1987 in Refuge: Canada's Journal on Refugees volume 6 number 4.{{cite web |title=Improving the Standards of Human Rights and Refugee Protection in Africa |url=https://www.researchgate.net/publication/265237309 |website=Researchgate |publisher=Refuge: Canada's Journal on Refugees |access-date=29 May 2021}}
The impact of received law on planning and development in Anglophonic Africa published in June 1980 in International Journal of Urban and Regional Research volume 4 number 2 pages 239 - 266.{{cite journal |last1=Kanyeihamba |first1=G. W. |title=The impact of the received law on planning and development in anglophonic Africa |journal=International Journal of Urban and Regional Research |date=June 1980 |volume=4 |issue=2 |page=239 |doi=10.1111/j.1468-2427.1980.tb00362.x |url=https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/abs/10.1111/j.1468-2427.1980.tb00362.x |access-date=29 May 2021|url-access=subscription }}

=Books=

Constitutional Law and Government in Uganda: The Theory and Practice of Constitutionalism in Uganda Including the Government and Local Administrations, the Citizen and the State, Administrative Law, the East African Community, and the Commonwealth published by East African Literature Bureau in 1975.{{cite book |last1=Kanyeihamba |first1=George W. |title=Constitutional Law and Government in Uganda: The Theory and Practice of Constitutionalism in Uganda Including the Government and Local Administrations, the Citizen and the State, Administrative Law, the East African Community, and the Commonwealth |date=1975 |publisher=East African Literature Bureau |location=National Library of Australia |url=https://catalogue.nla.gov.au/Record/2369419 |access-date=29 May 2021}}
Reflections on the Muslim Leadership Question in Uganda. Published by Fountain Publishers in 1998.{{cite book |last1=Kanyeihamba |first1=George W. |title=Reflections on the Muslim Leadership Question in Uganda |date=1 April 1998 |publisher=Fountain Pub Ltd |location=Amazon |isbn=9970021508 }}
Kanyeihamba's Commentaries on Law, Politics and Governance. Published by Law Africa in 2006.{{cite book |title=Kanyeihamba's Commentaries on Law, Politics and Governance |url=https://muse.jhu.edu/book/39534 |via=Project Muse |date=29 December 2006 |publisher=Law Africa |isbn=9789966031884 |access-date=29 May 2021}}
Constitutional and Political History of Uganda: From 1894 to Present. Published in 2010 by Law Africa.{{cite book |last1=Kanyeihamba |first1=George W. |title=Constitutional and Political History of Uganda: From 1894 to Present |date=2010 |publisher=Law Africa |isbn=9789966031501 |url=https://www.perlego.com/book/536035/constitutional-and-political-history-of-uganda-from-1894-to-present-pdf |access-date=29 May 2021}}
The Blessings And Joy Of Being Who You Are. Published in 2012 by Marianum Press Ltd.{{cite web |title=The blessings and joy of being who you are |url=http://catalogue.umu.ac.ug/cgi-bin/koha/opac-detail.pl?biblionumber=33199&shelfbrowse_itemnumber=46977 |website=Archbishop Kiwanuka Memorial Library |access-date=29 May 2021}}

Personal life and death

Kanyeihamba was married to Susan Kanyeihamba (née Randall). Together, they had three children. Kanyeihamba also had an adopted daughter.

Kanyeihamba died on 14 July 2025, at the age of 85.{{cite news |last1=Wesaka |first1=Anthony |last2=Ajuna |first2=David Josh |title=Retired Supreme Court judge George Kanyeihamba dies |url=https://www.monitor.co.ug/uganda/news/national/retired-supreme-court-judge-george-kanyeihamba-dies-5117308 |access-date=14 July 2025 |publisher=Monitor |date=14 July 2025}}

References

External links

[https://web.archive.org/web/20060919203222/http://people.africadatabase.org/en/person/14610.html Contemporary Africa Database ]

Category:1939 births

Category:2025 deaths

Category:Judges of the African Court on Human and Peoples' Rights

Category:Alumni of the University of Warwick

Category:Attorneys general of Uganda

Category:Ugandan judges of international courts and tribunals