KAMPALA, Uganda | Flavian Nzeija, the Deputy Chief Justice, has officially opened a high court building for the Rukungiri High Court.

The building, which cost 1.62 billion Ugandan shillings to construct, was contracted by the Ugandan government to Hebron Investment Company Ltd.

The new court building is expected to serve both Rukungiri and Kanungu districts, facilitating locals’ access to legal services.

Justice Dr. Flavian Zeija said the court will help reduce the backlog of cases and the long commutes people from Kanungu and Rukungiri districts have been making to Kabale to seek justice.

Zeija also reiterated the government’s ongoing efforts to strengthen the judiciary, citing plans to construct a Regional Court of Appeal in Mbarara City, a Chief Magistrate’s Court in each district, and a legal training institute in Nakaseke District to enhance the competence of legal leaders.

“Poor service delivery frequently results in public resentment and could lead to curses from aggrieved citizens,” said Justice Dr. Zeija.

The transformation agenda of the judiciary has long sought to bring justice closer to the people, Zeija continued, and he urged the resident judge to ensure that justice is served promptly by implementing best practices such as establishing clear hearing dates, offering outstanding customer service, maintaining appropriate archives and exhibit stores, and enforcing a zero-tolerance policy on corruption.

Her Worship Susan Kanyangye, the resident judge of Rukungiri, thanked the government for bringing the courts closer to the public. “The new court will support timely and accurate judgments and help expedite the resolution of backlogged cases,” she stated.

Wilberforce Rukungiri’s Deputy Resident District Commissioner, Ahimbisibwe Ongom, cautioned court officials against bribing or conspiring with lawyers to deny the impoverished access to justice. He promised to initiate investigations and make arrests in order to take strong action against anyone found to be undermining justice.

Hon. Dr. Elisa Rutahigwa, a member of parliament for the Rukungiri Municipality, praised the High Court’s creation as a component of President Yoweri Museveni’s plan to provide services to all Ugandans. He called on the judiciary to institute community sensitization programs to address the widespread lack of knowledge among the local population regarding court procedures.

Atigo Hellen, the assistant registrar for the Rukungiri High Court, disclosed that since the court’s founding, 640 criminal cases, 930 civil cases, 180 family cases, and 185 land matters have been registered. There are currently 93 land matters, 58 family cases, 270 civil cases, and 268 criminal cases on the caseload.

She mentioned that the Kabale High Court had transferred 208 criminal cases and 120 civil cases, the majority of which had already been resolved.