A stressed judge sits at the bench, and the consequences ripple far beyond one courtroom. That was the sobering message Deputy Chief Justice Moses Kazibwe Kawumi carried to judicial officers and staff gathered in Kampala for the International Day of Judicial Well-Being, a reminder that the health of the person delivering justice is inseparable from the quality of the justice delivered.
Representing Chief Justice Dr Flavian Zeija, Justice Kazibwe didn’t mince words: a healthy, supported Judiciary is harder to corrupt and less susceptible to outside pressure. A burned-out one, by contrast, is a Judiciary at risk, its officers more vulnerable to the very lapses in judgment the public trusts them never to make.
The celebrations were as much about action as reflection. Officers marched through Kampala City, gave blood, underwent free medical screening, and took part in wellness sessions , a visible answer to a quiet crisis many judiciaries worldwide are only now naming. Justice Kazibwe credited the UN’s recent recognition of judicial well-being as a global priority, and pointed to the region’s own reckoning: judges from the Nuremberg Trials to the Rwanda and Yugoslavia tribunals have long shown that justice demands more than legal skill, it demands emotional resilience.
The day drew voices from across the Judiciary’s leadership. Lady Justice Olive Kazaarwe Mukwaya, representing the Principal Judge and speaking as President of the International Association of Women Judges (Uganda Chapter), urged officers to abandon self-medication in favour of professional care, make fuller use of their medical insurance, and pay closer attention to women’s health while calling on male colleagues to champion gender equality within the Judiciary’s wellness push. Chief Registrar HW Agnes Alum welcomed participants with a reminder that judicial officers are, first, human beings carrying demanding responsibilities that expose them to real stress urging self-care before burnout sets in, not after.
The health education sessions brought that message into sharper focus. Dr Roselline Achola of the Ministry of Health walked participants through how poor sleep and chronic stress erode both mental and physical health, while Mr Paul Okware of the National Medical Stores cautioned against self-medication, urging officers to consult qualified professionals and follow prescribed dosages to avoid drug resistance.
At the centre of the day’s momentum was the Uganda Judicial Officers Association (UJOA), under President HW Daphine Ayebare, whose advocacy has pushed wellness onto the institutional agenda.
Justice Kazibwe acknowledged the Association’s outstanding asks stronger legal protections, expanded medical insurance, better court infrastructure, transport and housing support for officers in hard-to-reach postings and pledged that Judiciary leadership would weigh them as resources allow. HW Ayebare, in turn, thanked partners including National Medical Stores, the Rotary Wellness and Fitness Fellowship, and the International Association of Women Judges (Uganda Chapter) for their continued support.
UJOA is already looking ahead: a Golf Tournament on 10 October 2026, its Annual Dinner on 28 November 2026, and fresh plans for a demonstration farm at Kapeka and UJOA Rotary Club initiatives aimed at strengthening both the wellness and the fellowship of Uganda’s judicial officers.
