Godfrey Serunkuma Lule (Born 10 September 1932) is a

Ugandan }), is a landlocked country in East Africa. The country is bordered to the east by Kenya, to the north by South Sudan, to the west by the Democratic Republic of the Congo, to the south-west by Rwanda, and to the south by Tanzania. The southe ...

lawyer. He was Minister of Justice and Constitutional Affairs of Uganda for

Idi Amin Idi Amin Dada Oumee (, ; 16 August 2003) was a Ugandan military officer and politician who served as the third president of Uganda from 1971 to 1979. He ruled as a military dictator and is considered one of the most brutal despots in modern w ...

and defected, becoming a prominent international critic of Amin. He went on to found the prominent Ugandan Law and Consulting firm Sebalu & Lule Advocates and Legal Consultants.

Early life

Lule was born on 10 September 1932, in

Mukono Mukono Town is a municipality in Mukono District in the Central Region of Uganda. The town is administered by the Mukono Town Council. The district headquarters are located in this town. Location Mukono Municipality is 21 km east of ...

Uganda }), is a landlocked country in East Africa East Africa, Eastern Africa, or East of Africa, is the eastern subregion of the African continent. In the United Nations Statistics Division scheme of geographic regions, 10-11-(16*) territor ...

. born to

Buganda Buganda is a Bantu peoples, Bantu kingdom within Uganda. The kingdom of the Baganda, Baganda people, Buganda is the largest of the traditional kingdoms in present-day East Africa, consisting of Buganda's Districts of Uganda, Central Region, inclu ...

ethnicity.

Education

From 1952 to 1954, Lule attended Aggrey Memorial School. He worked briefly as a teacher following graduation, teaching at the Luwule Secondary School in Luwule Village in the Namaiba Parish in the Nakisunga Subcounty in the

Mukono District Mukono is one of the districts in the Central Region of Uganda. The town of Mukono is home to the district's main commercial center and district headquarters. Location Mukono District is bordered by Kayunga District to the north, Jinja Distric ...

. From 1956 to 1961 he attended the

University of Bombay The University of Mumbai is a collegiate, state-owned, public research university in Mumbai. The University of Mumbai is one of the largest universities in the world. , the university had 711 affiliated colleges. Ratan Tata is the appointed ...

, now called the

University of Mumbai The University of Mumbai is a collegiate university, collegiate, State university (India), state-owned, Public university, public research university in Mumbai. The University of Mumbai is one of the largest universities in the world. , the un ...

where he obtained a

Bachelor of Laws Bachelor of Laws ( la, Legum Baccalaureus; LL.B.) is an undergraduate law degree in the United Kingdom and most common law jurisdictions. Bachelor of Laws is also the name of the law degree awarded by universities in the People's Republic of Chi ...

Early career

After graduating from the

, Lule served as an apprentice to the

Attorney General of India The Attorney General for India is the Indian government's chief legal advisor, and is its chief advocate in the courts. They are appointed by the President of India at the instance of the Union Cabinet under Article 76(1) of the Constitution an ...

at the office in

Mysore Mysore (), officially Mysuru (), is a city in the southern part of the state of Karnataka, India. Mysore city is geographically located between 12° 18′ 26″ north latitude and 76° 38′ 59″ east longitude. It is located at an altitude of ...

India India, officially the Republic of India (Hindi: ), is a country in South Asia. It is the seventh-largest country by area, the second-most populous country, and the most populous democracy in the world. Bounded by the Indian Ocean on the so ...

. He then returned to Uganda in 1962 having passed the

bar exam A bar examination is an examination administered by the bar association of a jurisdiction that a lawyer must pass in order to be admitted to the bar of that jurisdiction. Australia Administering bar exams is the responsibility of the bar associa ...

at this point. He passed the

bar examination A bar examination is an examination administered by the bar association of a jurisdiction that a lawyer must pass in order to be admitted to the bar of that jurisdiction. Australia Administering bar exams is the responsibility of the bar associa ...

in 1967.

Career

Lule first entered

Ugandan politics Uganda is a presidential republic in which the President of Uganda is the head of state and the prime minister is the head of government business. There is a multi-party system. Executive power is exercised by the government. Legislative power is ...

in 1963, when he began working for the State Attorney at the Ministry of Justice and Constitutional Affairs of

. In 1964, he served in his first appointed position, appointed by Apollo Milton Obote to be the Assistant Administrator General in Kampala.

Minister of Justice and Constitutional Affairs of Uganda

In 1973, Idi Amin fired his Minister of Justice and Constitutional Affairs of Uganda,

Peter James Nkambo Mugerwa Peter James Nkambo Mugerwa (10 January 1933 – 10 November 2020) was a prominent Ugandan lawyer. He served as Uganda's Minister of Justice and Constitutional Affairs under President Idi Amin from 1971 to 1973. Early life Peter James Nkambo Mu ...

, with the stated reason being that he could not keep up with the "supersonic speed" that President

was driving the economy, leading him to appoint Godfrey Serunkuma Lule to be his successor. As Minister of Justice and Constitutional Affairs of Uganda, a position that also made him the Attorney General of Uganda, Lule dealt with the complicated legal justification of the unconstitutional actions of the increasingly erratic Idi Amin. He defended the 1975 Land Reform Decree 1975, which overhauled the country's land tenure system by overturning the Public Lands Act of 1969 and eliminating all

private property Private property is a legal designation for the ownership of property by non-governmental legal entities. Private property is distinguishable from public property and personal property, which is owned by a state entity, and from collective or ...

in Uganda and making all land in Uganda to be public land owned by the

government of Uganda Uganda is a presidential republic in which the President of Uganda is the head of state and the prime minister is the head of government business. There is a multi-party system. Executive power is exercised by the government. Legislative power is ...

, with land leased to private enterprises from the government of Uganda. He also had to deal with the legal consequences the

Expulsion of Asians from Uganda In early August 1972, the President of Uganda, Idi Amin, ordered the expulsion of his country's Indians in Uganda, Indian minority, giving them 90 days to leave the country. At the time of the expulsion, there were about 80,000 individuals of India ...

where Idi Amin ordered the deportation of 80,000 Ugandans of Indian Descent from

, adjudicating on what happened to their property left behind when Uganda's South Asian Minority was deported and Ugandan citizens of Indian ancestry voluntarily left due to increased Indophobia in Uganda. He also frequently travelled to

Geneva Geneva ( ; french: Genève ) frp, Genèva ; german: link=no, Genf ; it, Ginevra ; rm, Genevra is the List of cities in Switzerland, second-most populous city in Switzerland (after Zürich) and the most populous city of Romandy, the French-speaki ...

Switzerland ). Swiss law does not designate a ''capital'' as such, but the federal parliament and government are installed in Bern, while other federal institutions, such as the federal courts, are in other cities (Bellinzona, Lausanne, Luzern, Neuchâtel ...

and other cities to defend the

regime to international bodies and foreign governments.

Defection

In March 1977, Lule was told over a lunch in Kampala that

was planning on ousting and ultimately killing Lule, prompting Lule to leave the cafe where he was leaving and head directly to

London London is the capital and largest city of England and the United Kingdom, with a population of just under 9 million. It stands on the River Thames in south-east England at the head of a estuary down to the North Sea, and has been a majo ...

, home of a vibrant

expatriate An expatriate (often shortened to expat) is a person who resides outside their native country. In common usage, the term often refers to educated professionals, skilled workers, or artists taking positions outside their home country, either ...

Ugandan community of other prominent

defectors In politics, a defector is a person who gives up allegiance to one state in exchange for allegiance to another, changing sides in a way which is considered illegitimate by the first state. More broadly, defection involves abandoning a person, ca ...

from Idi Amin like former long-time Idi Amin Minister of Finance Emmanuel Blayo Wakhwweya two years earlier, without even returning to his house in

Kampala Kampala (, ) is the capital and largest city of Uganda. The city proper has a population of 1,680,000 and is divided into the five political divisions of Kampala Central Division, Kawempe Division, Makindye Division, Nakawa Division, and Ruba ...

. He kept a low profile in his first months in London, with news of his defection only being reported on 10 April 1977, and no mention was made in Uganda that he was missing and that he defected to the

United Kingdom The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland, commonly known as the United Kingdom (UK) or Britain, is a country in Europe, off the north-western coast of the continental mainland. It comprises England, Scotland, Wales and North ...

until July. During this time he was attempting to get his family to join him in London, avoiding the fate that other political spouses like Edith Mary Bataringaya faced when their spouses fell into the ill-will of Idi Amin, with Edith Mary Bataringaya being burned alive by Idi Amin henchmen. In

exile Exile is primarily penal expulsion from one's native country, and secondarily expatriation or prolonged absence from one's homeland under either the compulsion of circumstance or the rigors of some high purpose. Usually persons and peoples suf ...

, Lule became a prominent critic of the

regime. In September 1977, he spoke to the

United Nations The United Nations (UN) is an intergovernmental organization whose stated purposes are to maintain international peace and international security, security, develop friendly relations among nations, achieve international cooperation, and be ...

and urged them to censure Amin's crimes against humanity. He also appealed for the

, the

United States The United States of America (U.S.A. or USA), commonly known as the United States (U.S. or US) or America, is a country primarily located in North America. It consists of 50 states, a federal district, five major unincorporated territorie ...

, and

Europe Europe is a large peninsula conventionally considered a continent in its own right because of its great physical size and the weight of its history and traditions. Europe is also considered a Continent#Subcontinents, subcontinent of Eurasia ...

an nations to boycott Idi Amin and his regime, calling a press conference with ex-Minister of Health

Henry Kyemba Henry Kisaja Magumba Kyemba (simply known as Henry Kyemba likely born 1937-1939) is a Ugandan retired political figure who held several high positions and finally became Minister of Health during Uganda's rule by Idi Amin. He served in that post ...

where he urged the United Kingdom to stop allowing Idi Amin's "whiskey runs" where he would send cronies on flights to London's

Stansted London Stansted Airport is a tertiary international airport serving London, England, United Kingdom. It is located near Stansted Mountfitchet, Essex, England, northeast of Central London. London Stansted serves over 160 destinations acro ...

Airport to buy luxury goods for himself and supporters. He also worked for Hoskin and Company while in exile, working in

Bournemouth Bournemouth () is a coastal resort town in the Bournemouth, Christchurch and Poole council area of Dorset, England. At the 2011 census, the town had a population of 183,491, making it the largest town in Dorset. It is situated on the Southern ...

and

Return to Uganda and Private Practice

In 1979, Idi Amin fled into

moving to

Jeddah Jeddah ( ), also spelled Jedda, Jiddah or Jidda ( ; ar, , Jidda, ), is a city in the Hejaz region of the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia (KSA) and the country's commercial center. Established in the 6th century BC as a fishing village, Jeddah's pro ...

Saudi Arabia Saudi Arabia, officially the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia (KSA), is a country in Western Asia. It covers the bulk of the Arabian Peninsula, and has a land area of about , making it the fifth-largest country in Asia, the second-largest in the A ...

while Godfrey Serunkuma Lule returned from exile back to

Sebalu & Lule

In 1980, Lule formed the law firm and consulting group Sebalu & Lule with Paulo Sebalu. Sebalu & Lule Advocates and Legal Consultants is a Ugandan law firm headquartered in

, the

capital city A capital city or capital is the municipality holding primary status in a country, state, province, Department (country subdivision), department, or other subnational entity, usually as its seat of the government. A capital is typically a city ...

of Uganda. The firm is a member of

DLA Piper DLA Piper is a multinational law firm with offices in over 40 countries throughout the Americas, Asia Pacific, Europe, Africa, and the Middle East. In 2021, it had a total revenue of US$3.47 billion, an average profit per equity partner of ...

and the DLA Piper Africa Group. The firm's advocates are members of various professional bodies, including the

International Bar Association The International Bar Association (IBA), founded in 1947, is a bar association of international legal practitioners, bar associations and law societies. The IBA currently has a membership of more than 80,000 individual lawyers and 190 bar associat ...

, the Commonwealth Lawyers Association, the East African Law Society and the

Uganda Law Society The Uganda Law Society (ULS) is an association of lawyers charged with ensuring high levels of professionalism among lawyers in Uganda. Mission The Mission statement is: To Develop a Skilled and Empowered Legal Profession in Execution of its Sta ...

. Sebalu & Lule advises leading local and multinational organisations across the financial services, energy and infrastructure, insurance, telecommunications, construction, hospitality and leisure, private equity and processing/manufacturing sectors, several of whom are listed on the

Uganda Securities Exchange The Uganda Securities Exchange (USE) is the principal stock exchange of Uganda. It was founded in June 1997. The USE is operated under the jurisdiction of Uganda's Capital Markets Authority, which in turn reports to the Bank of Uganda, Uganda's ...

and

FTSE 100 index The Financial Times Stock Exchange 100 Index, also called the FTSE 100 Index, FTSE 100, FTSE, or, informally, the "Footsie" , is a share index of the 100 companies listed on the London Stock Exchange with (in principle) the highest market ...

. The firm also acts for industry regulators, international financiers, the Government and governmental agencies. Sebalu & Lule specialises in the following practice areas: banking and finance, capital markets, corporate and commercial law, commercial dispute resolution, projects and infrastructure, power (energy, oil and gas and mining), mergers and acquisitions, employment and pensions, non-profit organisations, real estate and tax. The firm has had significant success under Lule, who is still working as of 2019, with the firm receiving numerous awards. In the 2014 IFLR1000's financial and corporate law rankings for Sebalu & Lule indicate that it is a Tier 1 financial and corporate law firm. The firm is also ranked as a Tier 1 energy and infrastructure law firm by the same legal directory. Sebalu & Lule was also ranked as a Band 1 Ugandan law firm in the 2014 edition of Chambers & Partners.

Bugandan Political Career post-Amin

After returning to Uganda following his

defection In politics, a defector is a person who gives up allegiance to one state in exchange for allegiance to another, changing sides in a way which is considered illegitimate by the first state. More broadly, defection involves abandoning a person, ca ...

, Godfrey Serunkuma Lule initially kept a low profile politically focusing on working building up Sebalu & Lule into a successful and prominent firm. He did do

pro-bono ( en, 'for the public good'), usually shortened to , is a Latin phrase for professional work undertaken voluntarily and without payment. In the United States, the term typically refers to provision of legal services by legal professionals for pe ...

work consulting for the new Ugandan political leadership, especially working for the Indians of Uganda returning to Uganda following the

under

, a decision that Lule worked to defend, litigate, and sort out when he was Minister of Justice and Constitutional Affairs of Uganda. Lule would enter

politics from time to time throughout the 1990s and 2000s when the

Kabaka of Buganda the kabaka Palace in kireka Kabaka is the title of the king of the Kingdom of Buganda.Stanley, H.M., 1899, Through the Dark Continent, London: G. Newnes, According to the traditions of the Baganda they are ruled by two kings, one spiritual and ...

was close to Lule. The Kabaka of Buganda is the title given to the King of Buganda, a subnational kingdom for the

Ganda People Ganda may refer to: Places * Ganda, Angola * Ganda, Tibet, China * Ganda, the ancient Latin name of Ghent, a city in Belgium Other uses * Baganda or Ganda, a people of Uganda ** Luganda or Ganda language, a language of Uganda * ''Ganda'' and "Ga ...

of Uganda.Stanley, H.M., 1899, Through the Dark Continent, London: G. Newnes, In 1993, he helped in negotiations to ensure that Kabaka

Ronald Muwenda Mutebi II Ronald Edward Frederick Kimera Muwenda Mutebi II (born 13 April 1955) is the reigning Kabaka of Buganda, Kabaka (also known as king) of the Buganda, Kingdom of Buganda, a constitutional kingdom in modern-day Uganda. He is the 36th ''Kabaka'' of Bu ...

would be crowned, serving as his deputy attorney general. In 1994–1995, Lule helped write the new

n Constitution. Kabaka Ronald Muwenda Mutebi dissolved the

Lukiiko {{refimprove, date=June 2014 The Lukiiko (sometimes Great Lukiiko) is the Parliament of the Kingdom of Buganda. It was, according to tradition, established by Kato Kintu, the first Kabaka of Buganda, after defeating the rival prince Bbemba, when h ...

in 1996 and appointed Lule to be Kampala's representative, although Lule refused to serve over the lack of transparency. In 2005, Lule entered politics for a final time when he became the Bugandan attorney general when his long time ally Dan Muliika was appointed

Katikkiro of Buganda Katikkiro is the official title of the prime minister of the Kingdom of Buganda, a traditional kingdom in modern-day Uganda. The current Katikkiro is Charles Peter Mayiga, of the mutima clan, who was appointed to that position by the current monar ...

, the title for the prime minister of the Kingdom of Buganda. After Muliika was sacked Lule resigned, citing his ailing heart. As of 2019, Lule continues to live in

and practice law and run Sebalu & Lule.

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Lule, Godfrey Serunkuma 1935 births Ministers of Justice of Uganda People from Kampala Ugandan expatriates in the United Kingdom University of Mumbai alumni Ugandan defectors 20th-century Ugandan lawyers Ugandan businesspeople Ugandan business executives Consultants University of Mumbai people Living people 21st-century Ugandan lawyers