SEMBABULE– Justice Amos Kwizera has officially opened a criminal session at Sembabule, beginning with an inspection of the Guard of Honour before presiding over a stakeholders’ meeting with officers from the Office of the Director of Public Prosecutions (ODPP), defence lawyers, assessors, representatives from the Uganda Prisons Service, Uganda Police, and local leaders.
In her welcome remarks, the Deputy Registrar expressed gratitude to the Judiciary and Government for taking justice closer to the people and outlined that the Masaka High Court Circuit covers 10 districts, including Masaka City, Masaka Rural, Rakai, Sembabule, Kalungu, Bukomansimbi, Lwengo, Lyantonde, Kyotera, and Kalangala. She announced that 40 cases have been cause-listed for this session, among them 16 murders, 15 cases of Aggravated Defilement, four of Aggravated Robbery, two Rape, and three Aggravated Trafficking cases.
The Chief Magistrate, HW Marion Ninsiima, thanked stakeholders for honoring the invitation and welcomed Justice Kwizera to Sembabule. She commended the Judiciary for scheduling the session in the district and urged participants to actively engage throughout the proceedings.
On behalf of the ODPP, the Resident State Attorney Ms Nyakake Prisilla assured stakeholders that the prosecution is ready to proceed, and called on process servers to
execute their duties diligently while encouraging witnesses to attend court. Defence lawyers, led by Ms. Dorah and Mr. Lule Alexander, President of the Uganda Law Society (Masaka), welcomed the Judiciary’s decision to assign a second judge to Masaka High Court and appealed for consistent witness attendance.
SP Simon Peter, Officer in Charge Prisons Masaka, reported that the facility currently holds 1,617 capital offenders, including 275 convicts, 903 committals, and 324 ongoing cases. He thanked the Judiciary for improvements in service delivery and confirmed that all accused persons scheduled for this session had been presented before court.
The Regional Police Commander Masaka West assured stakeholders of sufficient security during the proceedings, while the RDC, Jane Francis Kagoye, pledged to use her airtime on local radio stations to remind witnesses to attend court. She also appealed to Government to post State Attorneys to Matete and Ntuusi Courts to reduce delays in criminal justice.
Justice Amos Kwizera emphasized that justice delayed is justice denied, observing that capital cases such as murder should be concluded within weeks to avoid retraumatizing victims and losing critical witnesses. He identified population growth and economic activity as major drivers of crime, which in turn increase the burden on the courts. He noted that handling over 1,000 cases in Masaka would require at least 25 judges and substantial resources, but assured the public that theJudiciary remains committed to reducing backlog.
Justice Kwizera commended the Uganda Law Society (Masaka) for their professional advocacy for an additional judge, and urged all stakeholders to embrace plea bargaining and mediation as effective tools to deliver timely justice. While appreciating the mediation role of Resident District Commissioners, he cautioned them not to act as courts by issuing judgments or orders. He further encouraged Local Council Courts, under the supervision of Chief Magistrates, to handle petty cases such as minor thefts, in order to ease pressure on higher courts.
Justice Kwizera concluded by calling on leaders and stakeholders to ensure witnesses attend court, warning that absenteeism undermines justice and often leads to unnecessary case dismissals.
