Mobile court handles 145 cases at Kiryandongo Refugee Settlement

What the report says

A week-long mobile court session at Kiryandongo Refugee Settlement in western Uganda handled 145 cases through hearings and plea bargaining, according to Nile Post. The exercise was organized by the Refugee Law Project with support from the Government of the Kingdom of the Netherlands, and was designed to bring justice services closer to refugees and other vulnerable residents who may struggle to reach the main court because of cost and transport barriers.

Director of Public Prosecutions Lino Anguzu officiated at the exercise and urged quicker handling of criminal cases, along with more frequent plea-bargaining sessions to help reduce backlogs. He said the justice system should be accessible to everyone and indicated support for future sessions in the settlement. Anguzu also raised the need to address shortages of prosecutors in Kiryandongo.

The report said some cases were resolved through plea bargaining, including matters involving Bosco Wadi, who was sentenced to 18 months for defilement, and Alex Rwamita, who received 12 months for manslaughter after a domestic altercation. Chief Magistrate Samson Abiti Loum said plea bargaining could ease the criminal case backlog, while settlement commandant Vincent Amaruma Mariza said the area hosts about 170,000 refugees from 15 countries and that the mobile court was introduced because resources for transporting people to the main court had become limited.