A Mobile Court at Kiryandongo Refugee Settlement handled 145 cases during a week-long exercise aimed at taking justice closer to refugees and other vulnerable communities who face financial and logistical barriers in accessing the main court.
The Mobile Court ran from 26 August to 1 September 2026, with a few outstanding cases scheduled for completion tomorrow.
The Director of Public Prosecutions (DPP), Mr Lino Anguzu, officiated at the closing ceremony on Tuesday and called for faster disposal of criminal cases and more frequent plea-bargaining sessions to improve access to justice and reduce case backlog.
The exercise was organised by the Refugee Law Project (RLP) with support from the Government of the Kingdom of the Netherlands.
Among the cases concluded through plea bargaining was that of Wadi Bosco, who was convicted and sentenced to 18 months’ imprisonment for defilement of a 15-year-old girl. In another case, Rwamita Alex was convicted and sentenced to 12 months’ imprisonment for manslaughter following the death of her husband after a domestic altercation.
Mr Anguzu said the Mobile Court demonstrated the commitment of justice institutions to ensuring that vulnerable communities can access justice.
“It is important for every person in Uganda to access justice,” he said, stressing that timely resolution of cases promotes peace, order and socioeconomic development.
The DPP urged refugees to familiarise themselves with Uganda’s laws and encouraged accused persons who accept responsibility to appropriately utilise plea bargaining.
He pledged ODPP support for future plea-bargaining sessions and proposed increasing the sessions in the settlement from twice to four times a year to help reduce case backlog. He also committed to prioritising the shortage of prosecutors in Kiryandongo.
The Chief Magistrate, HW Abiti Samson Loum, said effective use of plea bargaining could significantly reduce the criminal case backlog and called for improved facilities for prosecutors.
The Refugee Settlement Commandant, Mr Amaruma Mariza Vincent, said the settlement currently hosts approximately 170,000 refugees from 15 countries. He explained that the Mobile Court was introduced after dwindling resources made transporting refugees to the main court in Kiryandongo increasingly difficult.
The Director of RLP, Dr Ojara Pius, appreciated the partners supporting the initiative and pledged to organise two additional Mobile Court sessions to further improve access to justice.
The exercise brought together the Judiciary, ODPP, Refugee Law Project, district authorities and development partners, and attracted refugees, victims and their relatives, local leaders and justice actors.
The Mobile Court is part of efforts to take justice services closer to vulnerable communities, expedite case disposal and reduce the financial and geographical barriers to accessing justice.
Posted 2nd, September 2026
