DNK International By Our Reporter,Kampala
As Uganda emerges from a tense general election, attention has inevitably settled on Justice Simon Mugenyi Byabakama.
This is the man constitutionally mandated to midwife the country from voting to verdict.
Calm, measured and unmistakably legalistic, Byabakama has become one of the most powerful yet controversial public figures in Uganda’s democratic process.
He was born on January 31, 1957 in Hoima District.
Justice Byabakama now 68 years old studied at Kabalega Secondary School before joining Makerere University, where he earned a Bachelor of Law degree.
He later obtained a Diploma in Legal Practice from the Law Development Centre, qualifying him for a career that would span prosecution, the bench and eventually electoral management.
He is married to Dorothy Kasaija Mugenyi and is a father of six, a detail he rarely brings into his public life.
Byabakama’s professional journey began in 1981 as a State Attorney, rising steadily through the Directorate of Public Prosecutions, where he served as Deputy Director of Public Prosecutions.
In 2008 he was appointed a High Court Judge, later elevated to the Court of Appeal and Constitutional Court in 2015.
His reputation as a disciplined,procedure driven jurist is what ultimately saw him appointed Chairman of the Electoral Commission in 2016, succeeding Badru Kiggundu.
He was reappointed in 2024 for a second term, placing him at the helm of yet another high stakes election cycle.
Supporters describe Justice Byabakama as strictly impartial, guided by the letter of the law rather than political pressure.
Critics, particularly from the opposition, accuse him of presiding over an Electoral Commission perceived to favour the incumbent establishment, pointing to uneven enforcement of campaign rules and the handling of past election disputes.
Byabakama has consistently rejected claims of bias, insisting that the Commission applies the law uniformly and that outcomes are determined by voters, not officials.
In the run up to yesterday’s election, he repeatedly assured the country of the Commission’s technical preparedness, citing voter register updates, staff training and deployment of materials nationwide.
He has also warned that results will only be announced after full verification,a stance that suggests patience rather than speed will define the declaration of winners, especially where disputes arise.
Beyond elections, Justice Byabakama remains a serving Justice of the Court of Appeal, occasionally participating in judicial and civic engagements, including voter education forums.
One of his most quoted remarks is his insistence that “credible elections are a shared responsibility of institutions, candidates and citizens alike.”
Whether remembered as a neutral custodian of democracy or a controversial referee in Uganda’s political contest, Justice Simon Byabakama’s legacy will ultimately be judged by how history and the courts assess the elections conducted under his watch.
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🗓️ [DNK-International@January 16,2026]
