Kitgum residents have expressed frustration over delayed court cases, long travel distances, and what many described as a confusing and intimidating judicial process. Their concerns were raised during the Kitgum Court Open Day on Wednesday, an event aimed at improving public understanding of court procedures and services.
Several residents said cases—particularly land conflicts, criminal proceedings, and domestic disputes—often drag on for years, causing financial strain and emotional hardship. One mother narrated how she has repeatedly traveled between Gulu and Kitgum to follow up on her child’s case, only to be asked for money by officers who promised to “help her follow up.”
Christopher Okema Amic, a retired civil servant, said the court feels “invisible” and claimed it has been “hijacked by other arms of government.” “The judiciary has left those without knowledge to use their authority instead of the law,” Amic said. Robby Wodmal cited a case involving several Kitgum residents that has been pending at the Kampala High Court since 2005.
“Fifteen High Court judges have handled the case. Each time an execution order is due, it is the department under your office that complicates the case. Even now, the time for an appeal has lapsed, yet another appeal has been filed, as has been done for the last twenty years,” Wodmal said.
Wilfred Obwona, a resident of Orom Sub-county, said he and others were sued over a land matter at the Kitgum Chief Magistrate’s Court in 2015, but the case has never been heard. “Each time they set a date, it is adjourned, and several defendants have already died. Mediation was held twice in Orom but failed to solve the matter,” Obwona said.
Despite the complaints, Kitgum Resident Judge Justice Phillip Willebrord Mwaka said the High Court in Kitgum has reduced its case backlog by nearly half over the past year. Justice Mwaka noted that the court opened in March 2024 with 851 active cases, including one dating back to 2008 involving Kitgum Municipal Council and a private individual. Since then, the court has registered 1,493 cases and completed or transferred 1,019, mostly to the Patongo High Circuit, though “the majority were disposed of here.”
As of Wednesday morning, the court’s active caseload stood at 622 cases, down from more than 1,100 last year. These include 241 backlog cases, 308 criminal matters, 179 land disputes, 93 civil cases, 26 family matters, 12 commercial disputes, and 4 execution and bailiff matters. Justice Mwaka said civil matters move fastest while criminal cases “keep recurring,” largely due to sexual and gender-based violence involving minors.
He added that land conflicts, mostly involving customary land, remain the most common and volatile cases. Many arise from inheritance disputes among relatives, often after the death of a family head or even while the owner is still alive but senile. The judge expressed concern over cases filed without clear land boundaries, noting that some claimants “do not know how big their land is or where exactly it is located.”
To address this, the court now requires preliminary surveys before land cases can proceed, a measure that helps reduce unenforceable judgments. Justice Mwaka also accused some traditional leaders of being drawn into revenge or violent tendencies, worsening conflicts. He appealed to leaders to embrace mediation as an alternative means of resolving land disputes to minimize damaged relationships. He added that the judiciary is integrating traditional leaders into alternative dispute resolution (ADR) systems to promote mediation and dialogue.
Justice Mwaka expressed confidence that the backlog will drop below 500 cases by the end of next year, as the court strives to handle matters in “real time.” The Principal Judge, Lady Justice Jane Frances Abodo, who was the chief guest, urged communities to better understand how courts operate, saying many of the complaints raised stem from misunderstandings.
She noted that some parents blame the judiciary for the arrest of their children without knowing what the children have been doing and acknowledged the challenges faced by court users. Justice Abodo emphasized the judiciary’s shift toward mediation and alternative justice systems, particularly in Acholi, Lango, and Karamoja regions, where traditional reconciliation practices are strong, saying mediation speeds up conflict resolution.
“We don’t want cases to stay in the system for ten years. Justice should be received when it is fresh,” she said. Abodo reaffirmed ongoing reforms, including expanding magisterial areas, establishing more Court of Appeal circuits, recruiting more judicial staff, and automating court processes to eliminate missing files.
She also urged community members to report misconduct by officers directly to the resident judge, chief registrar, or the Judicial Inspectorate, emphasizing that accountability must be “two-way.”
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