Court of Appeal Opens Criminal Appeals Session With 25 Cases

What the report says

The Court of Appeal in Kampala has begun a criminal appeals session with 25 matters on the schedule, according to Nile Post. The hearing window runs from September 15 to September 17, 2026, and is being handled by a three-judge panel led by Lady Justice Hellen Obura, alongside Justice Jesse Byaruhanga Rugyema and Lady Justice Cornelia Kakooza Sabiiti.

Murder appeals account for the largest share of the list, with 12 cases, followed by six appeals in aggravated defilement matters. The remaining files include two rape appeals, one aggravated robbery appeal and one involving obtaining money by false pretence. The session also includes a State appeal in a case where the accused had been acquitted of rape, and another appeal challenging a life sentence for aggravated defilement.

The appellants are reported to have appeared virtually from Luzira Upper Prison and Isimba Prison Farm with their lawyers. The cause list was signed by Registrar Allen Rukundo Owembabazi. The court’s stated aim is to speed up the handling of appeals, reduce backlog and improve access to justice by disposing of cases more efficiently.

More broadly, criminal appeal sessions are a common way for appellate courts to focus on a defined set of cases over a short period. In this instance, the mix of serious violent and sexual offence cases highlights the weight of matters before the court and the pressure on Uganda’s justice system to resolve them promptly.