Deputy Chief Justice, Hon. Justice Dr. Flavian Zeija(L) with the Deputy Chief Justice Justice Petrus T. Damaseb of Namibia (R)
A15-member delegation from the Namibian Judiciary, led by Deputy Chief Justice Justice Petrus T. Damaseb, has concluded a successful two-day benchmarking visit to Uganda aimed at learning from the implementation of Uganda's Electronic Court Case Management Information System (ECCMIS).
The visit culminated in a dinner on Friday evening held in honour of the delegation at Serena Hotel, Kampala, hosted by Deputy Chief Justice, Hon. Justice Dr. Flavian Zeija on behalf of the Chief Justice.
The benchmarking tour comes as Namibia prepares to roll out its own Integrated Electronic Case Management System (IECMS), and sought to draw insights from Uganda's experience in judicial automation.
Justice Dr. Zeija emphasized the spirit of African solidarity and mutual learning. He commended African judiciaries for their growing capabilities, while urging them to value their own achievements and continue sharing best practices across the continent.
"When you visit all our countries, we are really doing well, and we can assist each other," he said, encouraging peer-to-peer learning rather than reliance on external models.
Justice Damaseb, in response, thanked the Ugandan Judiciary for its openness and leadership in judicial reform. He described Uganda's ECCMIS as a model worthy of emulation and noted that Namibia would adopt a "cut and paste" approach-tailoring Uganda's best practices to suit its own context.
He acknowledged Uganda's progress, especially in automating lower courts, and committed to deepening cooperation between the two countries, including inviting Ugandan experts to support Namibia's transition.
Lady Justice Jane Okuo Kajuga, the Ag. Principal Judge, highlighted the flexibility of ECCMIS in responding to the unique demands of different courts. She shared experiences from the Anti-Corruption Division, which has tailored the system to manage complex cases involving asset recovery and tax crimes.
"ECCMIS must remain adaptable as our judicial needs evolve," she said, stressing that technology should serve, not constrain, justice.
Dr. Pius Bigirimana, Permanent Secretary and Secretary to the Judiciary, emphasized the importance of system integrity and ownership by judicial officers. He warned against over-reliance on support staff in managing digital systems, noting the risks to data security and judicial independence.
He also outlined the efficiency and revenue benefits that Uganda has realized from ECCMIS and encouraged Namibia to build on existing innovations rather than starting from scratch. He expressed optimism about the pending memorandum of understanding (MoU) between the two Judiciaries, which is expected to cement ongoing collaboration.
From the Namibian side, Mr. Benhardt Kukuri, Executive Director of the Judiciary, lauded Uganda’s hospitality and shared reflections on past engagements with Ugandan counterparts. He emphasized the importance of embracing the Fourth Industrial Revolution and the critical role of technocrats in driving change within judiciaries.
"Resistance to change-whether active or passive-must be confronted for real transformation to occur," he remarked.
Chief Registrar HW Lamunu Pamela closed the evening by celebrating informal engagements like the dinner as platforms for deep connection and mutual growth. She thanked the Deputy Chief Justice and the Ugandan Judiciary leadership for their support and extended her best wishes to the Namibian team.
"We hope your time here has been fruitful, and we look forward to more opportunities for shared learning," she said.
The evening was well-attended by members of the Ugandan Judiciary, including Justices, Registrars, department heads, and court administrators. The programme was moderated by HW Ereemye Jumire James Mawanda, Judiciary Public Relations Officer.
Posted 16th, May 2025
