President Museveni has appointed Hon. Justice Flavian Zeija as the new Chief Justice of the Republic of Uganda replacing Justice Owiny-Dollo.
The appointment was announced on Thursday, January 22, 2026, in a statement from State House.
According to the statement, the President made the appointment in exercise of the powers vested in him under Article 142(1) of the 1995 Constitution and on the advice of the Judicial Service Commission.
“In exercise of the powers vested in the President by Article 142(1) of the 1995 Constitution, and acting on the advice of the Judicial Service Commission, H.E. Yoweri Kaguta Museveni has appointed Hon. Justice Flavian Zeija as the Chief Justice of the Republic of Uganda,” the statement reads.
The appointment followed parliamentary approval, after Justice Zeija’s name was submitted to Parliament for vetting.
“The appointment follows the submission of Hon. Justice Flavian Zeija’s name to the Parliament of Uganda for approval, which Parliament duly granted in accordance with the Constitution,” the statement adds.
Dr Zeija is a seasoned legal professional with over two decades of experience in legal practice, academia, and the judiciary. He joined the Bench in 2016 as a High Court Judge and later served as Resident Judge of the Mbarara High Court Circuit. In 2019, he was appointed Principal Judge before being elevated to Deputy Chief Justice last year.
Born in 1969, Dr Zeija holds a Bachelor of Laws from Makerere University, a Master of Laws, a PhD in Law from the University of Dar es Salaam, and an MBA from Uganda Martyrs University. He has also lectured at several universities and previously worked in private legal practice.
He now assumes office as the head of Uganda’s Judiciary.