President Yoweri Kaguta Museveni, who also serves as the Chairperson of the National Resistance Movement (NRM), has appointed prominent lawyer John Musiime as the Chairperson of the party’s Election Tribunal.
The tribunal, which is responsible for handling internal party disputes—mainly arising from electoral processes—will play a key role in resolving complaints from the recently concluded NRM primary elections for District Woman MP and constituency flag bearer positions held on Thursday.
Musiime will lead a 29-member team composed of some of Uganda’s most experienced legal professionals. In response to his appointment, Musiime expressed gratitude and confidence in the team he will lead.
“It is a most high honour and privilege to be trusted by the national chairman…with this task. I am fortunate to have been assigned to lead a team of some of the most eminent, experienced and ablest lawyers in Uganda,” Musiime told our reporter.
The tribunal will work closely with the NRM Directorate of Legal Services, led by lawyer Enoch Barata, to process complaints from the ongoing party primaries. Barata recently announced that aggrieved candidates will have five days—including weekends—to file their petitions with the NRM Electoral Commission after results are declared. Only duly filed petitions will be reviewed by the tribunal.
Who is John Musiime?
John Musiime is a seasoned legal practitioner with more than 15 years of experience in litigation and dispute resolution. He is a partner at Dentons Advocates Uganda, where he heads the Litigation and Dispute Resolution practice, and also a partner at Kyagaba and Otatiina Advocates.
Musiime is widely recognized for his work in complex commercial litigation, banking and financial disputes, judicial review, arbitration, and intellectual property. He has represented major clients in both domestic and cross-border legal battles, including several commercial banks and financial institutions.
In 2022, the Uganda Law Society honored him with the “Excellence from the Bar” award. That same year, his litigation team at Dentons was named “Litigation Team of the Year.”
Musiime has also contributed to legal scholarship with notable publications such as “A Commentary on Justice Stephen Mubiru’s Landmark Decision in Barbara Namayega vs Etot Denis & Others” and “Judicial Review: A Used or Abused Tool,” which he presented at the Uganda Law Society Litigation Practice Training in 2021.
Additionally, a Statutory Instrument dated 11 February 2025 names him as Assistant Secretary to the Judicial Tribunal of Inquiry into the conduct of former Supreme Court Justice Esther Kisaakye, who is currently living in exile.
Musiime’s appointment signals a strong legal foundation for the NRM’s efforts to ensure credibility and fairness in its internal electoral processes.
