BIG WIN! Deputy IGG Anne, Minister Aceng Win Big as Judge Dismisses City Lawyer Mayambala’s “Witch-Hunt” Claims Vs Cancer Institute Board Rot
A dramatic legal battle that promised to expose deep cracks, alleged conspiracies, and bitter power struggles at the Uganda Cancer Institute has collapsed spectacularly in the High Court, with the Inspectorate of Government—led in this case by Deputy IGG Anne Twinomugisha Muhairwe—emerging with a decisive and emphatic victory.
In a detailed ruling delivered on March 23, 2026, Justice Bonny Isaac Teko tore through the application filed by lawyer Mayambala Micheal, ultimately dismissing it in its entirety for want of locus standi, effectively ruling that the man who had levelled sweeping allegations of malice, bias, and a “stage-managed witch-hunt” had no legal right to even bring the case before court.
It is a judgment that not only shuts down Mayambala’s claims but also reinforces the legal shield surrounding the Inspectorate of Government’s work, particularly in high-profile investigations touching public institutions.
But to understand the magnitude of this courtroom defeat, one must first unpack the explosive claims that had been placed before court.
Mayambala Micheal had come to court armed with a wide-ranging application invoking multiple provisions of the Constitution, the Judicature Act, and civil procedure laws, seeking an arsenal of powerful remedies. At the heart of his case was an attempt to quash an investigation report by the Inspectorate of Government into governance irregularities at the Uganda Cancer Institute, a probe that had far-reaching consequences, including the eventual dissolution of the UCI Board by the Minister of Health.
He wanted the court to issue orders of certiorari to wipe out the Inspectorate’s report, to nullify the Minister’s actions taken on the basis of that report, and to declare that the entire investigative process was tainted from the beginning—“stage-managed,” unprofessional, malicious, and driven by hidden agendas and office politics.
He did not stop at institutional criticism.
Mayambala went personal.
He accused the Deputy IGG, Anne Twinomugisha Muhairwe, of mistreating him during the investigation process, alleging that she had blocked him from offering legal guidance during a key boardroom session and even questioned his eligibility to represent the Board unless he was a paid member of the Uganda Christian Lawyers Fraternity.
He claimed that during investigations, he was sidelined, silenced, and effectively pushed out of proceedings that he believed he had a right to participate in as a co-opted legal advisor to the Board.
Then came the media storm.
According to Mayambala, he only discovered he was under investigation after receiving calls from friends, relatives, former students, and mentees who had seen a damaging article published in the Daily Monitor on August 28, 2024. The article allegedly portrayed him as having engaged in corrupt practices, including claims that he was the personal lawyer of the Board Chairperson and had been involved in crafting a procurement manual designed to improperly empower the Board.
He branded the publication malicious, defamatory, and a calculated move to destroy his name.
He insisted he had never been given an opportunity to respond to these allegations before they were made public, arguing that this violated not only principles of fairness but also Section 23(1) of the Inspectorate of Government Act, which requires complaints to be handled with strict confidentiality.
To him, this was not just an investigation—it was an ambush.
He further claimed that the entire process had been predetermined, pointing to what he described as leaked evidence, including social media posts allegedly showing that the investigation was a premeditated scheme involving both the Inspectorate and the Minister of Health.
Armed with these claims, Mayambala asked the court to go even further—to stop the Inspectorate from making any further statements about him, to bar them from relying on the report, to compel a public apology, and to award him general, aggravated, punitive, and exemplary damages.
It was a full-frontal attack.
But the respondents pushed back hard.
Deputy IGG Anne Twinomugisha Muhairwe defended her actions, stating that the investigation into the Uganda Cancer Institute was conducted within her constitutional mandate under Article 225(1)(a), aimed at addressing systemic governance failures, including irregular recruitments, staff conflicts, and procurement challenges.
She maintained that the investigation was not directed at Mayambala personally.
The Attorney General and the Minister of Health, Dr Jane Ruth Aceng Ocero, also stood firm, arguing that the Minister’s decision to dissolve the UCI Board on November 22, 2024, was a lawful exercise of executive oversight, based on the Inspectorate’s findings.
They raised a critical preliminary objection.
They argued that Mayambala had no locus standi—no legal standing—to bring the case. They pointed out that he was not a formal member of the Board, that his alleged co-option was irregular, and that he had not demonstrated any legally enforceable right that had been violated.
They further argued that the proper parties to challenge the report would have been the Board itself or the Uganda Cancer Institute as a corporate body—not an individual advisor acting alone without a representative mandate.
That objection became the turning point.
Justice Teko carefully examined the law on locus standi, drawing from established authorities and legal principles that require an applicant in judicial review to demonstrate a direct or sufficient interest in the matter.
The court distinguished between personal indignation and legally recognizable interest.
Strong feelings, the judge emphasized, are not enough.
Applying this standard, the court found that Mayambala’s complaints—particularly those relating to the newspaper publication—were essentially private grievances. These, the judge ruled, were more suited for a defamation claim rather than judicial review, which is concerned with public law and the legality of decision-making processes.
The court refused to entertain those claims under judicial review.
But the decisive blow came from examining the nature of Mayambala’s role at the Uganda Cancer Institute.
The court reviewed documents showing that he had been co-opted to provide legal advice and to sit on various committees, including Human Resource, Finance, Audit, Risk, and Research committees. However, the law establishing the UCI only allows for co-option without defining clear statutory terms of service.
His engagement, the court found, was based on sitting allowances and amounted to a private contractual relationship.
It had no statutory underpinning.
And that changed everything.
Judicial review, the court emphasized, does not apply to ordinary master-servant relationships or private contracts of employment unless there is a statutory element protecting the position.
Mayambala had none.
He was not terminated—his role simply ceased when the Board itself was dissolved. He therefore had no independent cause of action separate from the Board that had appointed him.
In blunt terms, he was not sufficiently affected in law.
The court agreed with the respondents that he would have needed a representative order to bring the case on behalf of the Board or other affected parties—something he did not have.
Without that, his case had no legal foundation.
Then came another critical legal barrier.
Justice Teko invoked Section 20 of the Inspectorate of Government Act, which explicitly states that the proceedings, findings, and recommendations of the Inspectorate cannot be declared null or challenged in court merely due to procedural irregularities.
This provision effectively shields the Inspectorate’s work from being quashed through the kind of application Mayambala had brought.
That sealed the fate of the case.
With the preliminary objection upheld, the court dismissed the entire application for want of locus standi, declining to grant any of the sweeping remedies sought.
Each party was ordered to bear its own costs.
For Deputy IGG Anne Twinomugisha Muhairwe and the Inspectorate of Government, it is a powerful vindication—a confirmation that their investigation and actions remain legally intact and beyond the reach of this challenge.
For Mayambala Micheal, it is a crushing legal defeat.
His claims of conspiracy, malice, and a coordinated witch-hunt never made it to full judicial interrogation. The court never tested the truth of his allegations.
Because in the end, one issue decided everything.
He had no standing.
And without standing, there was no case.
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