KAMPALA- Members of parliament on legal committee have tasked the Judiciary to provide them with a list of individuals who are on remand without trial.
This is after the acting chief registrar Pamela Lamunu informed the MPs on how they have asked the commissioner general of prisons to provide them with a list of prisoners who are on remand without trial.
Lamunu was responding to a question from Busiro East MP Medard Sseggona who wondered why the Judiciary should have individuals on trial for over a year.
Lamunu’s response however left Sseggona wondering why the Judiciary should have to wait for prisons to provide them with such information when they are the ones who send these individuals on remand.
Lamunu in response informed MPs that their request is for reconciliation purposes only.
This prompted the committee to demand for the Judiciary provides them with the list they have as they wait for the commissioner general of prisons.
Lamunu also informed MPs how they are doing their best to handle case backlogs which has now reduced from 32 percent to 25 percent.
The Office of the DPP is seeking 8.6 billion shillings in the next financial year to recruit more staff, citing an inability to operate in 33 districts due to staffing shortages.
Agnes Khainza, The Permanent Secretary of the DPP’s office Agnes Khainza has informed MPs on the Parliamentary Committee on Legal and Parliamentary Affairs that, despite recently hiring 100 state attorneys in this financial year the number of prosecutors remains significantly below the approved structure.
Khainza says that the office currently operates at only 45.4% and they would like to increase their staffing levels to 64 percent.
Khainza says that they have been allocated 3 billion shillings out of the required 8.6 billion shillings and says that if the balance of 5.6 billion shillings is provided they will be able to recruit 277 more staff which she says will enhance criminal prosecution services across the country.
The Office of the DPP has been allocated 95.4 billion shillings for the next financial year, an increase from the 86.1 billion shillings received in the current financial year.
Khainza is also seeking 5 billion shillings for reduction of case backlog noting that the funds will facilitate prosecutions through guided investigations, pre-trial witness preparation and victim’s empowerment and protection.
Khainza also says that they require 10 billion shillings to construct offices and 10 billion shillings to purchase land in the areas of Makindye, Nakawa, Kajansi, Entebbe, Kasangatti, Kira, Luzira, Nansana, Nabweru, Matugga and wobulenzi.
Khainza says that they have failed to get land from local governments yet the cost of renting in these areas is very high.
The mps on the committee who included the Bamunanika county mp Robert Ssekitoleeko ,Erute south mp Jonathan Odur and WEST Budama North East mp tasked the DPP’s office to explain why they don’t engage different institutions like church for land and update them on the conviction rates of cases in the country.
Khainza informed MPs that they have tried different agencies but they have always faced challenges to acquire land in these areas.
