Published on 03/04/2025
Members of the Legal and Parliamentary Affairs Committee have cautioned the Judiciary that growing public distrust in the institution could lead Ugandans to emulate their Kenyan counterparts, who set Parliament and court buildings ablaze in protest.
The warning was issued by Medard Ssegoona (Busiro East) during a meeting on April 2, 2025, with Judiciary officials defending their 2025/26 Ministerial Policy Statement.
“You have someone who is battered and bleeding, yet you remand them without even instructing prisons to provide medical attention. Instead, you send them straight to Luzira. Just next door in Kenya, people burned Parliament. We do not want Ugandans burning our courts. If the dignity of the court is shaken, we are in trouble. People will resort to mob justice,” Ssegoona cautioned.
MPs were shocked to learn that the Judiciary had written to the Commissioner of Prisons, Johnson Byabashaija, requesting a list of all inmates on remand. Some lawmakers questioned how the Judiciary could be unaware of the individuals it had committed to prison.
Ssegoona challenged the Judiciary’s oversight: “Before you receive information from the Commissioner General, you are the one who remanded these people. You should already know who they are and when they are due back in court. How can someone be in prison for a year without a valid remand warrant? If the magistrate commits a suspect to the High Court, that record should be available.”
Pamela Lamunu, Acting Chief Registrar, acknowledged the concern, explaining that the Judiciary had requested the data from Uganda Prisons Services to harmonize records and assess how to address the long remand periods.
“We recently communicated with the Commissioner of Prisons to provide a list of people on remand without trial. We want to control this issue and explore solutions. The Judiciary is known for being innovative, and we will come up with new strategies,” Lamunu assured.
However, Ssegoona dismissed her response, questioning how the Judiciary could commit suspects to jail and then seemingly forget about them.
“People are being forgotten in prison. You remand individuals for a specific period, and it is your duty to monitor their status. Yet, prison officials report that some detainees have been there for eight months without appearing in court. This means their remand warrant expired, and they are now being held illegally,” he argued.
Richard Oseku (Kibale County) highlighted the strain prolonged remand places on government resources, with a significant number of inmates held without trial.
“Many Ugandans feel persecuted because of the high number of remand inmates. This is an administrative failure. The Judiciary must find interim solutions, especially for petty offenses. We need a specific plan to address this issue,” Oseku urged.
Robert Ssekitoleko (Bwanika County) commended the Judiciary’s infrastructure developments but demanded better service delivery.
“We built you modern court structures, but the services inside do not match the appearance. A report from the Human Rights Committee revealed cases of individuals imprisoned for 29 years without trial. Someone must be held accountable for such failures,” he stated.
In response, Lamunu emphasized that the Judiciary was actively working to tackle case backlog, citing a reduction from 32% to 25%.
“We appreciate Parliament’s support in securing resources to fight case backlog. However, new cases keep emerging. We are battling this issue through backlog reduction sessions and plea bargaining,” she explained.
MP Abdu Katuntu questioned why the backlog persists despite increased recruitment of judicial officers and improved salaries.
“Every year, we increase the number of judges and magistrates. What is the problem? The time taken to conclude cases is unreasonably long. The people of Uganda are not happy with the way justice is being dispensed,” Katuntu remarked.
Judiciary Secretary Pius Bigirimana downplayed concerns about public dissatisfaction, describing it as a matter of perception.
“Whether people are happy with us or not is a perception issue. But I have understood the message,” Bigirimana stated.
The heated exchange underscores mounting pressure on the Judiciary to address delays in the justice system and restore public confidence in the institution.
