KAMPALA, Uganda The Judiciary has been castigated for exorbitant bail fees imposed on suspects and was accused of vulgarising and monetizing bail applications, wondering if there aren’t other mechanisms that can be used to enforce the appearance of suspects in courts.

The legislators made the remarks during a meeting held with officials from the judiciary who had appeared to present the institutions’ 2025/26 ministerial statement before the committee on legal and parliamentary affairs yesterday.

Bugweri East legislator Abdul Katuntu asked why money has been a factor in bail. ” Money. Why don’t we think about other things, such as the attendance or the choice, other than it being economics? Because bail is about you securing his attendance, and we have realised it is about money, I, who doesn’t have money, have no opportunity because the biggest factor is money.

“Why do you charge a lot of money? Somebody has been arrested. Actually, somebody is a victim. The police arrested people and beat them up; we witnessed it in Kawempe recently. Someone has been boxed; you remand him, and then when you choose to hear, you ask for a lot of money, trying to survive. Why do you make bail so prohibitive?” Senoga asked.

The Permanent Secretary to the Judiciary, Pius Bigirimana, apologised on behalf of the judiciary, saying that for the shortcomings that have been experienced, some are systematic, others are individuals in the judiciary, but he defended the monetization of bail, saying that it is currently the only available means.

” For the time being, that’s the only available means that we have, but we shall benefit from members ideas. If you come up with, for example, a proposal, you will have helped us, but for the time being, it is that.” Bigirimana added.

The Parliamentarians further rebuked the judiciary for the recklessness while handling bail applications. Some lawyers are wondering whether some judicial officers even have common sense or are even deserving of titles, worships, and lordships, yet all their actions are characterised by injustices like adjourning for two weeks just to decide on a bail application.

Busiro East Mp Medard Segona revealed that you adjourned a bail application. What is so novel in a bail ruling? Someone tells you, I’m going to hear your case, but I’ll hear your bail application two weeks, three weeks away from today. You are defeating the Constitution. Because in the constitution, everybody is entitled to be free, except where their accuser places on your table justification for restriction. Isn’t that the position of the law? Every innocent person is entitled to freedom. Now you are aiding the state to incarcerate someone who is innocent for two weeks when the person will come to justify his freedom.

The Parliamentarians also lashed out at the judiciary for failing to put in place a mechanism of alerting advocates when judicial officers will be in court, which has seen many lawyers spend hours and resources travelling upcountry for court hearings, only to be told the judicial officers aren’t around to attend their matters