Judiciary to save billions as new court buildings near completion

Kampala, Uganda | THE INDEPENDENT | Dr Pius Bigirimana on Tuesday said that the completion of court buildings across the country will save the judiciary at least Shs9.973 billion in rent, now that construction is back on course.

Bigirimana, the Permanent Secretary to the Judiciary, blamed the COVID-19 pandemic for the delays in the construction of the different court buildings. He noted that the project started on December 5, 2019. It was expected the construction would be done by 2021.

He says it is still on schedule, despite some delays.

The construction of the Court of Appeal and Supreme Court buildings and other courts is nearly complete, with the Supreme Court building at 92% and the Court of Appeal building at 85% completion.

“We are hopeful that this year we will be able to enter the courts,” Dr Bigirimana stated.

To reduce rental expenses, the Judiciary is constructing more courts.

Some have already been completed, such as the Chief Magistrates courts in Mukono, Butambala, and Mayuge, as well as the Namayingo Justice, Kole Justice Centre, and Kamwenge Chief Magistrate Court.

However, courts in Buhweju, Namayingo, and Kole are yet to be completed.

To expand its services, the Judiciary has operationalized six new high court circuits in Iganga, Tororo, Luwero, Hoima, Rukungiri, and Moroto. This brings the total number of high court circuits in Uganda to 20.