Stakeholders concerned over congested Hoima prison

Hoima: Stakeholders attending the Hoima High Court Open Day have raised serious concerns over the increasing number of land disputes in the region, which they say are contributing to a growing backlog of court cases and overcrowding at Hoima Prison.

The open day event, held on Tuesday at Hoima High Court, brought together judicial officers, community leaders, local government officials, and members of the public to discuss the state of justice in the region.

Representing the Prime Minister of Bunyoro-Kitara Kingdom, Andrew Byakutaga, Rev. John Kitalibara highlighted the sharp rise in land-related conflicts, calling for increased judicial resources to handle the growing number of cases.

“The rate of land disputes is increasing rapidly. We need more judicial services to ensure these cases are resolved quickly and fairly,” Rev. Kitalibara said.

He also raised concern about the limited space at Hoima Prison in Kiryatete, which he said was severely overstretched and contributing to inefficiencies in the justice system.

Rev. Kitalibara urged the public to consider mediation as an alternative to litigation, saying it saves time, promotes peace, and avoids long-standing grudges resulting from court judgments.

Grace Nsasirwe, the Assistant Resident City Commissioner (RCC) of Hoima, echoed the concerns about congestion in Hoima Prison, linking it to crimes mostly stemming from land disputes that could otherwise be resolved through alternative dispute resolution.

“Hoima Prison was designed for 70 inmates. It is now holding 390 inmates, which is over five times its capacity,” Nsasirwe said.

She called for reforms that promote community-based justice and reduce the number of minor offenders being sent to prison unnecessarily.

Some members of the public attending the open day expressed frustration with the delays in court proceedings, alleging that in some cases, justice is skewed in favor of the powerful.

“We wait for justice for years. Sometimes we feel like judges are working for the government, not for the poor,” one participant lamented.

Justice Vincent Opyene, the resident judge at Hoima High Court, revealed that the court is currently overwhelmed with 1,942 active cases, including; 595 criminal cases, 396 civil cases, 795 land cases and 156 family cases.

However, Justice Opyene assured the public that all cases with file numbers will be heard before December this year.

“We are committed to delivering justice to all people. No case will be left unattended,” he affirmed.

The Acting Principal Judge, Justice Jane Okuo Kajuga, commended the Hoima judicial team for maintaining integrity and resisting bribery, despite the overwhelming workload.

Justice Kajuga emphasized the need to speed up case handling to reduce the backlog and restore public confidence in the judiciary.

“Delays in justice must end. We’ve set up inspections for cases that have stayed too long in the system,” she noted.

She also highlighted a national challenge, pointing out that Uganda has only 89 High Court judges serving over 50 million people, making it difficult to meet the growing demand for justice.

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