The Judiciary has launched a video conferencing system linking courts and prisons in Kitgum and Lamwo districts, a move aimed at improving access to justice, reducing case backlog and advancing digital transformation in the justice sector.
The system was launched on Thursday in Kitgum. Speaking at the launch, David Sunday Kikabi, Head of the Judiciary’s Information Communication and Technology Department, said the system is implemented under the Judiciary e-Filing, e-Service and Virtual Proceedings Rules, Statutory Instrument No. 21 of 2025, and forms part of Uganda’s wider e-Justice programme.
He explained that the Judiciary has adopted information technology in areas such as case management, virtual hearings and artificial intelligence to improve justice delivery.
According to Kikabi, the initiative enhances the Judiciary’s vision of promoting the court as a service rather than the court as a place, noting that the system relies on high-quality audio and video recording to ensure court proceedings remain authentic and admissible.
The facility includes microphones, amplifiers, speakers, large display screens, recording systems, curtains for light control and air conditioning systems to support the equipment.
Kikabi says that similar installations have been set up in prisons in Kitgum and Lamwo to allow suspects to attend court sessions remotely, reducing the movement of inmates between prisons and courts. He added that the technology can also connect courts across Uganda and internationally, enabling judges and witnesses to participate in proceedings remotely.
United Nations Development Programme Resident Representative Nwanne Vwede-Obahor described the launch as an important step in expanding access to justice through digital innovation. She added that technology is now an essential tool for delivering timely, efficient and non-discriminatory justice services, even outside major urban centres.
Vwede-Obahor noted that the system would help reduce delays, improve case management and strengthen coordination between courts and prisons while increasing access to justice for vulnerable groups, especially women and children.
She said the Kitgum installation is the seventh video conferencing system supported by UNDP after similar projects in Masaka, Mbale, Jinja, Mbarara, Gulu and Mukono. The project was funded through the Spotlight Initiative 2.0 with support from the Kingdom of the Netherlands, Denmark and Luxembourg.
Vwede-Obahor, however, stressed the need for continued investment in electricity, internet connectivity, technical capacity and data protection to ensure the sustainability of digital justice systems. Bouwe-Jan Smeding, representing the Netherlands Embassy in Uganda, described the launch as a major milestone in the digitisation of Uganda’s Justice, Law and Order sector.
He said the facility would improve access to justice and enhance the efficiency of case management. Smeding noted that the Netherlands has contributed 8 million US dollars to the Spotlight 2.0 programme to support efforts to eliminate violence against women and strengthen justice systems.
He added that remote participation through video conferencing would reduce delays, lower barriers to justice, and improve protection for vulnerable people seeking justice. Kitgum Deputy Registrar Suzanne Aisia Musooli described the system as a historic development for the region’s justice system.
She said the technology would help court users from distant areas, including Lamwo district and refugee settlements, access justice services without travelling long distances. Musooli also noted that the system would allow courts to hear testimony from witnesses outside Uganda.
She cited a recent case in which court officials travelled to Gulu to receive evidence from a witness in Saudi Arabia because Kitgum lacked the necessary technology. She credited development partners, including UNDP, the European Union, the Netherlands Embassy and the Spotlight Initiative for supporting the project.
Musooli further revealed that the Kitgum High Court Circuit has significantly reduced its criminal case backlog through initiatives such as plea bargaining, mediation and legal aid support. “When we started Kitgum High Court, we had about 850 cases in total, the majority being criminal matters.
As we speak this morning, we have drastically reduced the pending criminal cases,” she said. Principal Judge Jane Frances Abodo, in remarks delivered by Kitgum High Court Judge Mwaka Phillip Willbrord, said video conferencing systems have now been installed in seven High Court circuits and their respective prisons, including Masaka, Mubende, Mbale, Jinja, Gulu, Mukono and Kitgum.
The statement noted that video conferencing is transforming court proceedings by enabling remote participation, reducing transportation costs and security risks, improving efficiency and expanding access to justice.
The Kitgum High Court Circuit covers Kitgum High Court, Kitgum Chief Magistrate’s Court, Lamwo Grade One Magistrate’s Court and Karenga Grade One Magistrate’s Court, which is yet to become operational. URN