Speaker Among slams Ssemakade’s ‘genital jab’ at DPP, remember where you came from!

Speaker Among has wondered how Isaac Ssemakade, President of Uganda Law Society could describe Frances Abodo, Director of Public Prosecution (DPP) with her genitalia, as if those aren’t the same body parts he was birthed from.

This followed calls by Faith Nakut (Napak DWR) who asked Parliament to come together in condemning what she termed vulgar words used by Ssemakade against the DPP, since Parliament had joined the world to amplify efforts to end Gender Based Violence during the 16days of Activism.

“However, we ought to respect each other, the women you are abusing today is either your mother, your wife, your daughter, your mother in law.

So, abusing a woman’s private parts that you used to come out from is very bad. And the person you are attacking is a person of a higher caliber. I don’t think you would love your children out there to hear what was said,” said Anitah Among.

Nakut noted, “I can’t even say here for the record to capture, he described the DPP with her genitalia and referred to her ethnicity.

He added that she is a pumpkin. It is important that this Parliament pronounces itself before the practice of describing women with their genitalia becomes a norm in our country. It is important that this Parliament condemns it.”

“The MPs are saying they didn’t listen to the audio and they are saying it is rumours. The President of Uganda Law Society, in describing the person of the DPP. Let the House pronounce itself on this matter, the President of Uganda Law Society cannot be left to say anything he wants concerning the person of the DPP or a woman in Uganda,” added Nakut.

Last week, the Office of the Director of Public Prosecutions (ODPP) has expressed strong disapproval of remarks made by Isaac Ssemakadde, the President of the Uganda Law Society (ULS), in a video circulating on social media. In a detailed press release dated November 20, 2024, the ODPP described Ssemakadde’s statements targeting Hon. Lady Justice Jane Frances Abodo, the Director of Public Prosecutions (DPP), as “highly derogatory, inflammatory, and despicable.

The ODPP accused Ssemakadde of using vulgar language and personal attacks against the DPP, labeling his actions as a breach of professional ethics and an affront to the rule of law.

“Mr. Ssemakadde’s comments represent a breach of professional and ethical standards, undermining the rule of law and prosecutorial constitutionalism, a threat to institutional integrity, and an affront to public discourse,” the statement read.

The ODPP further emphasized that such remarks should never come from a leader of a professional body tasked with upholding justice and the legal system’s integrity.

At the center of the controversy is Hon. Justice Jane Frances Abodo, who has served in Uganda’s judiciary for over 23 years, building a reputation as a principled and impartial prosecutor. The ODPP reaffirmed her exemplary track record, noting that she is a double-appointed judge and prosecutor whose integrity is beyond reproach.