Appointments to key public service positions are usually as important as they are controversial. There is so much the public reads into such posts, including: who is picked, when, how and why? True governance dictates that the appointing authority responds with adequate information.
However, in many young democracies as are the African countries, this is hardly the case. Those in power put their cronies in key positions without giving a hoot about citizens’ concerns. To them, it is either their way or the highway.
In such situations, the people look upon the media as the ultimate bulwark for pushing back on official arrogance and other forms of flagrant behaviour. Indeed, it is the duty of the Fourth Estate to dig deeper and provide full assessments of those appointed to high public service positions.
In the last week of August, Uganda’s President Yoweri Museveni nominated Justice Jane Frances Abodo as the country’s first-ever female principal judge. And in keeping with the Constitution, the head of state forwarded her name to Parliament for approval. She’s to replace Justice Flavian Zeija, who was elevated to Deputy Chief Justice in February.
As expected, Justice Abodo’s appointment was widely covered in Uganda, but the Eagle’s reportage was outstanding. In abject shallowness. Headlining the story with ‘Museveni appoints Justice Jane Frances Abodo as new Principal Judge’ on August 30, 2025, the publication dedicated 10 paragraphs to the important announcement in a manner so bare that no journalist should ever copy its example. In short, its story was a cut-and-copy version of the release from the President’s office without an iota of intellectual investment. It would suffice to use a few paras from the story to demonstrate the level of journalistic laziness.
One, the story quoted a letter from President Museveni to Parliament “dated this week” (really?) and why that was done. “In exercise of the powers vested in the President by Article 142(1) of the 1995 Constitution, I have, acting on the advice of the Judicial Service Commission, appointed Hon. Lady Justice Abodo Jane Frances as Principal Judge … I hereby forward her name and CV to Parliament for approval.” There was no explanation on that constitutional provision.
Two, save for the fact that the letter was authenticated by the deputy presidential press secretary, Farouk Kirunda, whatever the Eagle reported about Justice Abodo was straightjacket rendering from the President’s statement. Here: “Justice Jane Frances Abodo is a seasoned judicial officer with an outstanding career in Uganda’s justice system. She has served as the Director of Public Prosecutions (DPP) since April 2020, making history as the first woman to hold the position. Before her appointment as DPP, she was a judge of the High Court and previously headed the Anti-Corruption Division of the Directorate of Public Prosecutions.
“Renowned for her integrity and commitment to fighting corruption, Justice Abodo has handled several high-profile cases and has been vocal about strengthening Uganda’s justice system to ensure fairness and accountability.” These are loaded statements.The Eagle should have given some landmark examples to confirm Justice Abodo’s suitability for the new, higher office. For that, the story ended without answering the germane question: who is Justice Jane Frances Abodo?
The Eagle should learn a lesson from the Monitor which, on the same day and topic, made some commendable efforts in letting readers into, at least, the professional history of Justice Abodo and the place of her new position within the Judiciary. It also cited a landmark case she handled when she was a High Court judge.
For example,the Monitor reported that Justice Abodo was recognised by the Uganda Law as the Prosecutor of the Year 2015, and that she comes from one of the remote regions of Karamoja.
However, no publication explained Justice Abodo’s jurisprudential philosophy and the timing of her promotion just a few months to Uganda’s general election on January 12, 2026.
Lesson learnt? Consumers these days get news from a variety of sources, and the media that leads must invest in extra legwork by deeply and correctly explaining issues.
