Justice Kenneth Kakuru (65), of the Court of Appeal, succumbed to stage 4 prostate cancer at the Aga Khan Hospital in Nairobi, Kenya, on March 7, 2023.
According to a close family source, Kakuru was rushed to the medical facility in critical condition, with his family and judiciary fearing for his life.
Justice Kakuru was a Ugandan lawyer and judge who served as a justice of the Court of Appeal since May 2013.
He will always be remembered for being an outspoken judge who stands by his word.
“There is always the danger that if the constitution is not strictly complied with, our hard-earned democracy shall degenerate into authoritarianism, which leads to totalitarianism and dictatorship,” wrote Justice Kakuru, who was the only dissenting judge on the issue of lifting the age limit.
He wrote the dissenting judgment in the age limit case, which saw the Constitutional Court uphold Parliament’s decision to remove the presidential limit of 75 years, allowing President Museveni to seek his 6th term in office.
He studied law at Makerere University, graduating with a Bachelor of Laws (LLB) degree.
Later, he graduated with a Master of Laws (LLM) degree from Makerere University. His Diploma in Legal Practice was obtained from the Law Development Center (LDC), among other qualifications.He will dearly be missed.