Museveni names Flavian Zeija new Chief Justice

President Yoweri Museveni has appointed Justice Dr Flavian Zeija as Uganda’s new Chief Justice, following the retirement of Alfonse Chigamoy Owiny-Dollo.

Owiny-Dollo retired on January 18, 2026, after reaching the mandatory age of 70. He formally handed over office to the Deputy Chief Justice the next day at the Supreme Court.

Owiny-Dollo took office in August 2020. During his term, he pushed for judicial discipline, internal reforms and teamwork within the judiciary.

Justice Zeija now takes over as the country’s top judicial officer. He was born on February 18, 1969, in Western Uganda. He studied law at Makerere University, where he earned a Bachelor of Laws degree in 1996.

He later obtained a Postgraduate Diploma in Legal Practice from the Law Development Centre in 1997. He earned a Master of Laws from Makerere University in 2002 and a PhD in Law from the University of Dar es Salaam. He also holds a Master of Business Administration from Uganda Martyrs University.

Zeija was enrolled as an advocate in 1998. He worked in private practice and served as managing partner at Zeija, Mukasa and Company Advocates. He also lectured at Uganda Christian University and worked as a legal consultant.

He joined the judiciary in 2016 as a High Court judge. He first served as Resident Judge of the Mbarara High Court Circuit, one of the busiest in the country.

In December 2019, Museveni appointed him Principal Judge. In that role, he supervised High Court judges, assigned duties and oversaw magistrates’ courts as the third most senior judicial officer.

In February 2025, he became Deputy Chief Justice of the Supreme Court, replacing the retiring Justice Richard Buteera.

He was sworn in at State House Entebbe. He pledged to uphold the law, show humanity and reform outdated practices, especially in inheritance and land disputes.

Earlier today, Parliament’s Appointments Committee vetted Zeija for the job. The committee will send its report to the appointing authority under procedure.

Museveni’s decision comes as the judiciary goes through leadership changes. Zeija’s appointment is expected to continue reforms aimed at improving efficiency, fairness and public trust in the courts.