Uganda’s Justice Gaswaga elected African human rights court judge

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A Ugandan judge, Justice Duncan Gaswaga, has been elected to the African Court on Human and Peoples’ Rights (AfCHPR).

Gaswaga, the Resident Judge of the Lira High Court Circuit, was elected to serve on the court for his first term of six years during the 45^th Executive Council session of ministers of foreign affairs underway in Accra, Ghana’s capital.

The Ugandan High Court judge was elected by an overwhelming majority of 46 member states, of those present and able to vote at the session.

The delegation of Uganda to this session included Amb. Rebecca Amuge Otengo, the Permanent Representative of Uganda to the African Union, Justice Duncan Gaswaga, Michael Wamai and Daphine Teddy Nyanduri, First Secretary, Uganda Embassy in Accra.

The African Court was established to enhance the protection of human rights and basic freedoms in the continent. It complements the functions of the African Commission on Human and Peoples' Rights.

Justice Gaswaga is famous for handling a number of cases including the famous Nsenga case in which Jacqueline Uwera Nsenga was sentenced to 20 years imprisonment for the murder of her husband, Juvenal Nsenga in a disguised vehicle accident.

The incident saw Jacqueline crash her husband with a vehicle at their family home in Bugolobi, a Kampala suburb on January 10, 2013.

Uganda to host African Humanitarian Agency

At the same event, Uganda also won bid to host the African Humanitarian Agency (AfHA). The country edged out three other countries to win the bid, following an extensive process including an assessment mission to all four countries to assess proposals and suitability to host the agency.

During this, Kenya scored 76.13%, Nigeria 74.50%, Equatorial Guinea76.70%, and Uganda garnered 85.66%.

In April 2023, President Yoweri Museveni received a delegation from the African Union led by Prof. Julio Rakotonirina, the Head of AU Health Humanitarian Affairs and Social Development to evaluate Uganda’s bid to host the African Union Humanitarian Agency.

Who is Justice Gaswaga?

Justice Duncan Gaswaga, was on July 19, 2024, elected by the Executive Council of the African Union as Judge to the African Court on Human and Peoples' Rights for a period of six years.

Prior to that, on August 5, 2016, he was appointed as Chairperson of the Anti-Corruption Commission in Seychelles. He initially served the Judiciary of Seychelles, first as a Magistrate and later as a Supreme Court Judge, between 2002 and 2013.

The decision to create an Anti-Corruption Commission was announced by President James Michel in his State of the Nation Address in February 2016. He declared that the Commission would have the powers to investigate, detect and prevent practices linked to corruption.

It would also receive complaints against corruption and record investigations into allegations of practices linked to corruption in any Government departments and any institutions which receive funding and donations from Government.

In 2006, Justice Gaswaga, then a Magistrate, was appointed as a Judge of the Supreme Court of Seychelles.

In 2013, he was appointed Judge of the High Court having joined the Judiciary in 1999 as a Magistrate Grade I. Prior to that, he was in private practice as an advocate in Kampala.

After the revival of the East African Community, he was elected as the first general secretary of the East African Magistrates and Judges Association for Kenyan, Tanzanian and Ugandan judges.

The 53-year-old holds a Bachelor of Laws degree from Dar er Salaam University and a number of certificates and diplomas in law from other universities in Uganda, Denmark and South Africa.