Mbale, Arua Earmarked for Next Phase of Court of Appeal Construction

What the report says

The Ugandan Judiciary has identified Mbale City and Arua for the next phase of Court of Appeal construction, according to Nile Post, as part of a wider effort to bring appellate services closer to litigants outside Kampala. The plan comes amid a heavy national backlog at the Court of Appeal and long travel burdens for people in eastern Uganda who often must go to the capital for hearings.

Deputy Chief Justice Moses Kawumi Kazibwe said the Judiciary is first finishing ongoing appellate projects in Gulu and Mbarara before moving to the next locations. He said the Gulu site is about a quarter complete and the Mbarara facility is still at an early stage. The proposed Mbale court is expected to be considered later, with the article indicating it could feature near the end of the next financial year.

Mbale hosted a regional civil session of the Court of Appeal on October 12-13, during which 31 cases were heard. The temporary sitting helped litigants from Mbale, Busia and Manafwa avoid costly travel to Kampala, but the article notes that Mbale still lacks a permanent appellate court despite having a high court and chief magistrates court.

Kazibwe also said land availability and funding remain major constraints on court expansion. He cited support from Mbale City authorities for the proposed site, while the article says some local council disagreements have complicated the land transfer process. More broadly, the Judiciary is also building lower courts in other parts of the country as it tries to improve access to justice, but officials warned that infrastructure alone will not solve delays without stronger staffing and coordination across the wider justice system.