By Diana Kintu.
President Yoweri Museveni has nominated the country’s top prosecutor, Justice Jane Frances Abodo, to become the next Principal Judge. This is a very powerful job in Uganda’s judiciary, responsible for managing all the cases and operations in the High Court and lower magistrate courts across the entire country.
The Deputy Presidential Press Secretary, Mr. Farouk Kirunda confirmed the decision on Saturday. He verified that a letter about the nomination circulating online was genuine and explained that Justice Abodo’s name has now been sent to Uganda’s Parliament for the necessary approval. “I congratulate her,” Mr. Kirunda said in a official statement.
Once approved by Members of Parliament, Justice Abodo will take over from Justice Flavian Zeija, who was promoted to the position of Deputy Chief Justice earlier this year. The Principal Judge is the third highest-ranking officer in the judicial system, after the Chief Justice and the Deputy Chief Justice.
Justice Abodo, who is 46 years old, is from the Karamoja sub-region. She learned law at Makerere University and received her advanced legal training at the Law Development Centre in Kampala. She also earned a Master’s degree in law from Trinity College Dublin in Ireland.
She began her career as a prosecutor in the government’s office in 2007. She rose through the ranks from a trainee to become the leader of the special team fighting corruption. Her team was known for its excellence and achieved one of the highest rates of successful convictions in the country. Her skill was recognised in 2015 when she was voted the best prosecutor by the Uganda Law Society.
Her career advanced in 2018 when she was appointed as a judge in the High Court’s Criminal Division. Two years later, President Museveni nominated her to be the Director of Public Prosecutions (DPP), the head of all government prosecutors.
Under her leadership, the DPP’s office secured historic achievements, including Uganda’s first-ever war crimes conviction against a former Lord’s Resistance Army commander. Her office also maintained an impressive conviction rate of over 90% in corruption cases.
She has been nominated to replace Justice Flavian Zeija, who has served as Principal Judge since 2019. Justice Zeija, a former university lecturer and lawyer, was recently elevated to Deputy Chief Justice.
If her nomination is approved by Parliament, Justice Jane Frances Abodo will create history by becoming the first woman to ever hold the office of Principal Judge in Uganda.