The passing of Prof. George Wilson Kanyeihamba marks the end of an era for Uganda’s legal and intellectual community.
His life was one of bold ideas, sharp convictions, and an unshakable commitment to justice, often delivered with fearless clarity, even when it put him at odds with the powers that be.
A former Supreme Court judge, academic, constitutional drafter, and author, Kanyeihamba lived as a man who believed that laws must serve the people, not those in power.
Born on 11 August 1939 in the rugged hills of Kinaba, Kinkizi (then part of the Kigezi District), Kanyeihamba was the youngest of eleven children. His early education was shaped by the challenges of rural life and colonial constraints, but even in his youth, he showed signs of a probing intellect and independent spirit.
From Kigezi High School to Busoga College Mwiri, and later to Portsmouth University and Warwick University, his academic path would prepare him for a lifelong engagement with law and governance.
Kanyeihamba’s career was as expansive as it was impactful. He was a lead figure in the drafting of Uganda’s 1995 Constitution, chairing the Constituent Assembly’s Legal Committee- a role that earned him the reputation of a constitutional purist.
He would later serve as Attorney General, Minister of Justice, and Minister of Commerce, before his appointment to the Supreme Court of Uganda in 1997. There, he made perhaps his boldest mark.In 2006, following a controversial presidential election, Kanyeihamba was one of the few justices who voted to annul the results- citing overwhelming evidence of electoral malpractice.
His dissent drew both admiration and consequence; he was later dropped from the African Court on Human and Peoples’ Rights, a position many believed he lost for speaking too freely. But if Kanyeihamba ever feared reprisal, he never showed it.
When armed soldiers invaded the High Court to rearrest suspects who had just been granted bail, he was one of the few judicial figures who condemned the act outright, branding it an assault on constitutionalism.
Outside the courtroom, Prof. Kanyeihamba wore many hats: legal scholar, university chancellor, human rights advocate, and author.
His memoir, The Blessings and Joy of Being Who You Are, is both an intimate reflection and a scathing critique of corruption and political decay in Uganda.
It reveals a man who remained deeply connected to his cultural roots, even as he wrestled with the contradictions of modern governance.
He also served as Chancellor of Kampala International University and Kabale University, where he mentored young legal minds and remained a fierce advocate for academic freedom.
In 2023, he was honored with a Lifetime Achievement Award at the Native Book Awards. True to form, he used the moment not for self-congratulation but to donate towards the development of a digital library.
Though his public legacy looms large, Prof. Kanyeihamba was also a devoted family man. He is survived by his wife, Susan Randall Kanyeihamba, and their children: Sarah, Joel, Ruth, and adopted daughter Betty.
In recent years, as his health declined and he grew more physically frail, he often credited his family with giving him strength, love, and perspective.In many ways, Prof. Kanyeihamba embodied the idea that law is not just a profession but a calling.
He lived that calling with uncommon courage. In a country where truth often whispers, he spoke in thunder.
His legacy will echo in Uganda’s legal texts, in lecture halls, and in the quiet resolve of every young lawyer who believes that justice should never be compromised.
He may have left us in body, but in principle and purpose, Prof. Kanyeihamba remains.
