A Kampala lawyer is behind bars after being accused of defrauding one of Uganda’s most respected legal minds—retired Supreme Court judge, Professor George Wilson Kanyeihamba—of over Shs 200 million.
Andrew Obam, 38, was taken into custody by the State House Anti-Corruption Unit after reportedly failing to return $56,800 (about Shs 212 million) that had found its way into his law firm’s bank account under questionable circumstances.
Obam, a partner at the city-based firm Loi Advocates, was arraigned before Grade One Magistrate Paul Mujuni at the Anti-Corruption Court in Kololo on Wednesday. He now faces a single charge of money laundering.
According to prosecutors, the alleged fraud took place over nearly two years—from October 2022 to September 2024—during which large sums were deposited into the firm’s Bank of Africa account. The money is believed to have come from stolen cheques tied to the retired 86-year-old judge.
The court heard that even after Obam reportedly became aware the funds were unlawfully obtained, he did not return them or report the matter.
Because money laundering is a serious offence that can only be tried by the High Court, Obam was not allowed to enter a plea. He has been remanded to Luzira Prison until July 14, 2025, as investigations continue.
For many, the case is especially unsettling—not just because of the large sum involved, but because the alleged victim is a distinguished jurist who has spent a lifetime upholding the law. It now falls to the courts to determine whether that same law has been turned against him.
