The Chief Justice of Uganda Dr Flavian Zeija, has revealed plans to expand the jurisdiction of Magistrates as part of ongoing judicial reforms aimed at improving access to justice across the country.
Justice Zeija said the proposed changes follow the recent passage of a law by Parliament, adding that the Judiciary is now awaiting presidential assent before the reforms can take effect.
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He made the remarks today April 15th during a meeting held at the Chief Magistrates Court headquarters in Kanungu District as part of his three-day working visit to courts in South Western Uganda that began on Monday April 13th 2026.
While addressing Judicial officers and local leaders, the Chief Justice explained that once the law is assented to, Grade One Magistrates will handle civil matters involving up to one million shillings, while Chief Magistrates will preside over cases not exceeding two million shillings noting that the move is intended to reduce case backlog and bring services closer to the people.
Justice Zeija also acknowledged earlier pledges he had made during his tenure as Principal Judge, explaining that implementation had been delayed due to financial constraints during the election period.
He assured stakeholders that these commitments would be revisited and pointed out that the Judiciary is currently facing a shortage of prosecutors from the Office of the Director of Public Prosecution, but noted that ongoing training will soon enable deployment to underserved areas.
He further called on district leaders to allocate land for the construction of more court infrastructure to address congestion and improve service delivery. In addition, he revealed plans to introduce mobile courts in hard-to-reach areas to enhance access to justice and emphasized that operational challenges such as electricity, solar power, and other logistical needs would be addressed internally by the Judiciary.
Meanwhile Kanungu Deputy Resident District Commissioner, Gad Ahimbisibwe Rugaju, has raised alarm over increasing insecurity linked to money lenders, blaming both licensed and unlicensed operators for exploiting residents through fraudulent agreements.
Deputy RDC Ahimbisibwe Rugaju made the remarks during a stakeholders’ meeting held at the Chief Magistrates Court headquarters in Kanungu, attended by the Chief Justice of Uganda, Dr Flavian Zeija, as part of his ongoing working visit to the district.
The Deputy Resident District Commissioner stressed that many money lenders are bypassing formal loan procedures and instead compelling borrowers to sign sale agreements, which are later used to unlawfully take over their property—fueling disputes and insecurity in the area.
Deputy RDC Ahimbisibwe Rugaju also cited the lack of legal aid services, noting that institutions such as Justice Centres Uganda are absent in the district, leaving many poor residents without access to legal representation and highlighted systemic gaps, including the absence of a Resident Chief Magistrate in Kanungu and the lack of a prosecutor at Kihiihi court, which has limited its operations to handling only civil cases.
While speaking at the same event, Kanungu District Chairman, Sam Arineitwe Kajojo, echoed concerns about limited access to justice, pointing to the irregular High Court sessions in the district noting that residents are often forced to travel long distances to Rukungiri District, which is costly and discourages many from seeking justice.
Arinaitwe Kajojo called for the deployment of more judicial officers, including a resident Chief Magistrate, and urged the Judiciary to increase High Court sittings within the District.
The Deputy Officer in Charge of Prisons for Kanungu District, Ephraim Kiribende, revealed that prison facilities are overstretched saying that Kanungu Prison currently holds 248 inmates, including six debtors and one infant, while Kihiihi prison has 66 convicts and one debtor bringing the total to 314 prisoners.
Kiribende commended the Judiciary for efforts to decongest prisons through timely case disposal, alternative dispute resolution, and conducting court sessions within prison facilities and appealed for expansion of Prison infrastructure to accommodate the growing inmate population.
Responding to the concerns, Chief Justice Zeija acknowledged the challenges raised and assured stakeholders that the Judiciary is taking steps to address them and said more prosecutors will be deployed after completing their training to ensure courts such as Kihiihi can handle criminal cases.
The meeting was attended by the Bishop of the Diocese of Kinkizi Rt Rev Dan Zoreka, Heads of Departments and other stakeholders in the judicial undertaking in Kanungu District.
