About Isaac Ssemakadde
Isaac Ssemakadde aged 42, is an outspoken lawyer in Uganda also known as the Legal Rebel. Born to a business-oriented family, he was raised in Masaka District where he was extremely exceptional due to his academic excellence straight away from Primary, 1996 that earned him a bursary from the Masaka Municipal Council for further studies at St. Mary’s College Kisubi marking the beginning of his journey.
What shaped Isaac?
After emerging as the best PLE candidate, Masaka at Bright Grammar Primary School and proceeding to St. Mary’s College Kisubi, he maintained his academic excellence that won him a scholarship at Makerere University eventually leading to him graduating as the top Law student in his class in 2008. He was also mentored at the Supreme Court of Uganda and acknowledges Professors, Joe Oloka-Onyango and Sylivia Tamale in his journey. His time at the Bowman’s formerly known as AFMpanga Advocates also carries some influence.
Isaac and Stella Nyanzi’s Case
Among the many cases that brought Isaac greater public attention was his representation of the outspoken academic and activist Stella Nyanzi. She was facing criminal charges over a Facebook post directed at President Yoweri Museveni and his late mother trying to convey a message that Uganda would have been better off if the President had died in the womb. Because he shared the same opinion and perspective as Stella on freedom of expression and human rights, he took up her defense challenging the court’s decision to sentence her to 18 months in prison. He appealed the conviction which was overturned by the High Court in February 2020, paving way for Nyanzi’s release.
Interests and habits
Isaac is greatly passionate about public-interest litigation rather than the conventional commercial law career path and so back at Makerere, together with a few of friends, he founded Legal Brains Trust so as to expand access to legal services especially for people whose circumstances make justice difficult to acquire. He loves music and is a big fan of the great late Prince Job Paulo Kafeero.
Family, fatherhood and relationships.
He has mentioned several times that he has proudly fathered many as a proud Muganda man but no marriage comments have surfaced till date. He has however had girlfriends among which are Joanne Umwimbabazi and Yvonne Babirye. He has also admitted in a certain interview that he is a lover boy and has a keen interest in creative women.
His life in exile
In February,2025, he was sentenced to two years in prison for contempt of court. This was a result of him publicly criticising judicial officers, particularly Justice Musa Ssekaana whose decisions he challenged including one of blocking a lawyers’ meeting intended to elect representatives to the Judicial Service Commission. Not long after, April,2025, the High Court temporarily halted a separate arrest warrant connected to the allegations that he had insulted the modesty of the Director of Public Prosecutions, Jane Fraces Abodo, having mentioned that she received promotion because of her vagina and because she is a Karamajong. All this happened however when he was abroad and in order to avoid punishment he decided not come back to the country therefore calling his situation a forced exile.
