KAMPALA- The Judiciary of Uganda has joined the rest of Ugandans to mourn Hon. Justice Prof. George Wilson Kanyeihamba who passed away at the beginning of this week.
Justice Kanyeihamba who served at Supreme Court from 1997 to 2009, passed away on 14th July, 2025, at the age of 85.
“He is remembered for advocating for the rights of refugees and other vulnerable groups. He is the author of the Article: Improving the Standards of Human Rights and Refugee Protection in Africa which was published in May 1987 in Refuge: Canada’s Journal on Refugees Volume 6 Number 4.
In addition to serving on the Bench, Justice Kanyeihamba was a distinguished scholar and prolific writer whose writings served as a source of inspiration and guidance for innumerable scholars and legal Professionals in Uganda and around the world.” Reads part of the Judiciary press statement dated July 15th 2025
The Judiciary also noted that, while they grieve his passing on, they also honor a life devoted to service, justice, and his unrelenting search for the truth. “He was outspoken, fearless, formidable and principled, deeply ethical and incorruptible.”
Justice Prof. George Wilson Kanyeihamba was an accomplished author, teacher, politician and judge who also served as a Cabinet Minister and member of Parliament. He was also the Chairperson of the Legal Committee of the Constituent Assembly that made the 1995 Constitution.
George Wilson Kanyeihamba was born in Kinaba in Kinkizi District of the Kigezi Region on 11th August 1939. He attended Kigezi High School, Busoga College Mwiri and Norwich City College. He graduated with a Bachelor of Laws from Portsmouth University in the 1970s.
He was also awarded the Doctorate of Laws from the University of Warwick in the United Kingdom.
In 1997, he was appointed a Justice of the Supreme Court of Uganda where he diligently served for 12 years. He retired in November 2009.
Justice Kanyeihamba was in 2006 elected as one of the inaugural judges of the African Court on Human and Peoples’ Rights. There, he contributed significantly to establishing the Court’s credibility and shaping its early Jurisprudence in the protection and promotion of human rights across fAfrica.
His rulings and legal writings demonstrate a strong commitment to constitutionalism, justice, and human rights — values he steadfastly upheld throughout his life.
He is remembered for advocating for the rights of refugees and other vulnerable groups. He is the author of the Article: Improving the Standards of Human Rights and Refugee Protection in Africa which was published in May 1987 in Refuge: Canada’s Journal on Refugees Volume 6 Number 4.
In addition to serving on the Bench, Justice Kanyeihamba was a distinguished scholar and prolific writer whose writings served as a source of inspiration and guidance for innumerable scholars and legal Professionals in Uganda and around the world.
