Mbarara High Court Opens Ntungamo Criminal Session, Murder Cases Dominate Cause List
The Mbarara High Court has yesterday commenced a criminal session at Ntungamo Chief Magistrate's Court, with murder cases forming the largest portion of the causelist.
The session, presided over by Justice Lawrence Tweyanze, will handle a total of 50cases, including 25 murder cases, 17 aggravated defilement cases, four rape cases, three aggravated robbery cases, and one case of kidnap with intent to kill.
The opening ceremony was marked by an inspection of a guard of honour mounted by the Uganda Police Force, a symbolic planting of the "Tree of Justice," and a pre-session stakeholders' meeting.
During the meeting, the Deputy Registrar, HW Grace Atwongyeire, welcomed the presiding judge and noted that this was the second criminal session to be held at Ntungamo, following the inaugural sitting in October 2025. She explained that the session is part of ongoing efforts to reduce case backlog and is expected to run until May 15, 2026.
She highlighted the heavy workload at Mbarara High Court and reaffirmed the Judiciary’s commitment to addressing backlog through targeted "Marshall Plan" sessions, the use of Alternative Dispute Resolution (ADR), and the operationalisation of designated High Court circuits.
HW Atwongyeire also appreciated the district leadership for allocating land for the construction of High Court premises at Ntungamo. She revealed that plans are underway to operationalise the Ntungamo High Court Circuit, a move aimed at bringing justice services closer to the people.
In his remarks, Justice Tweyanze commended the strong teamwork and collaboration among justice sector stakeholders in Ntungamo. He expressed gratitude to the Judiciary leadership for facilitating the session and highlighted key reforms aimed at enhancing access to justice.
These include ongoing digitalisation efforts, the planned rollout of the Electronic Court Case Management Information System (ECCMIS) across Mbarara High Court and its magistrates' courts, the promotion of ADR, and legislative reforms to expand the jurisdiction of Chief Magistrates' Courts.
He called upon stakeholders to utilise the media and other platforms to sensitise the public and encourage witnesses to attend court, emphasizing that their participation is critical to the success of the session.
Stakeholders in attendance commended the Judiciary for its continued reforms to improve justice delivery. They called for prioritisation of the operationalisation of the Ntungamo High Court Circuit. And pledged their full support towards the success of the session.
The session, moderated by HW Gordon Muhimbise, attracted a wide range of participants, including judicial officers, district leaders, security officials, prosecutors from the Office of the Director of Public Prosecutions, advocates, mediators, assessors, witnesses, and accused persons.
The opening activities were followed by a plea-taking session.
Posted 28th, April 2026
