Peter Nyombi

Peter Nyombi is a Ugandan lawyer and politician. He is the former Attorney General in the Ugandan Cabinet. He was appointed to that position on 27 May 2011. He replaced Kiddu Makubuya who became Minister for General Duties in the Office of the Prime Minister. In the cabinet reshuffle of 1 March 2015, he was dropped from the cabinet and was replaced by Fred Ruhindi. He is also the elected Member of Parliament for "Buruuli County" in Nakasongola District.

Background and education

Nyombi was born in Nakasongola District, on 23 April 1954, to Eriakimu Kajja, a schoolteacher and Mrs. Kajja, a full-time housewife. Nyombi is one of thirteen siblings. One of his brothers is Professor John Musisi Senyonyi, the Vice Chancellor of Uganda Christian University. Nyombi attended Nakasongola Primary School. He then studied at Kings College Buddo for his O-Level and A-Level education. In 1973, he was admitted to Makerere University, Uganda's largest and oldest public university, established in 1922. He studied law, graduating in 1976, with the degree of Bachelor of Laws. In 1977, he received the Diploma in Legal Practice from the Law Development Centre.

Career

From 1977 until 1986, he worked as a State Attorney in the Department of Public Prosecution in the Ugandan Ministry of Justice. For the next ten years, from 1986 until 1996, he served as Counsel in the Office of the Inspector General of Government (IGG). From 1996 until 2001, he worked as the Director of Legal Affairs in the office of the IGG. In 2001, he opened his own legal practice, Nyombi and Company Advocates, which is still operation as of March 2015. Also in 2001, he was elected to the Uganda's Parliament to represent "Buruuli County", Nakasongola District. He has continually represented that parliamentary constituency since. From May 2011 until March 2015, he served as Uganda's Attorney General.

Controversy

In August 2013 the Uganda Law Society, an industry association suspended Peter Nyombi from its members, citing three controversial opinions that he had rendered, opinions that contravened conventional legal understanding: As of March 2015, Peter Nyombi remains suspended.

1. He advised Rebecca Kadaga, the Speaker of Parliament, that three MPs expelled by their political party, the National Resistance Movement, could keep their parliamentary seats.
2. He advised the President, Yoweri Museveni, that it was Constitutional for General Aronda Nyakairima, an actively serving officer in the Uganda People's Defence Force to serve in the Ugandan Cabinet, as Minister of Internal Affairs.
3. He advised the President that the former Chief Justice of Uganda, Justice Benjamin Odoki, who had attained the mandatory retirement age of 70 years, could continue to serve on the bench beyond the age of 70, as stipulated in the constitution.

• Rugambwa, Ivan (30 August 2013). "ULS Suspends Attorney General Peter Nyombi". The Independent (Uganda). Retrieved 20 March 2015. 

Other considerations

Peter Nyombi is married. He is the father of four children, two sons and two daughters. He is a devout Christian.