VP Opens New Law Year 2026 as President Museveni Urges Faster Dispute Resolution to Power National Development
TheVice President, H.E Maj. (Rtd) Jessica Alupo, today officially opened the NewLaw Year 2026 on behalf of President Yoweri Kaguta Museveni, with a strong callon the Judiciary to fast-track dispute resolution in order to supportinvestment, wealth creation, and national development.
Speakingat the Judiciary headquarters in Kampala, the Vice President delivered thePresident’s written address, thanking Ugandans for renewing the Government'smandate and emphasizing that timely justice is critical to economictransformation.
PresidentMuseveni urged the courts to adopt innovative and strategic approaches toresolve disputes more quickly, noting that sectors such as land,infrastructure, and investment; key drivers of growth under the ParishDevelopment Model and the National Development Plan, are often delayed byprolonged litigation.
"TheJudiciary must position itself to be more creative, innovative, and strategicin devising mechanisms for quicker resolution of disputes to avoid frustratingour people and our investors," the President said.
Healso welcomed the continued decentralisation of court services, citing thegazetting of 38 High Court circuits, eight Court of Appeal circuits, and thedesignation of each district as a magisterial area to bring justice closer tothe people.
ThePresident congratulated the new Chief Justice, Justice Dr. Flavian Zeija,expressing confidence in his leadership, and paid tribute to the Chief JusticeEmeritus, Alfonse Chigamoy Owiny - Dollo, for championing reforms such asAlternative Dispute Resolution (ADR) and the Judiciary Transformation Agenda.
Inhis accountability address, the Chief Justice described the New Law Year asboth a constitutional obligation and a platform for reporting to the public onthe state of justice delivery.
Herevealed that in 2025, courts handled more than 456,000 cases, completed258,000 matters, and reduced backlog to 48,326 cases, representing 24.3 percentof pending cases. He noted that backlog remains concentrated in higher courts,while Magistrates Grade II courts recorded no pending cases following theirphase out.
TheChief Justice highlighted growing reliance on mediation, plea bargaining, andsmall claims procedure to deliver faster, people-centred justice, alongsidedigital transformation through the Electronic Court Case Management InformationSystem (ECCMIS), video conferencing, and automated court recording.
Hereported improvements in staffing, infrastructure, transport, and outreach,which have expanded court coverage to more than three-quarters of the countryand boosted public confidence in the justice system.
Lookingahead, Justice Zeija announced the rollout of the Sixth Judiciary StrategicPlan, prioritising enhanced case management, wider access to justice, registryreforms, technology and artificial intelligence, staff wellness, and thecreation of new specialised court divisions.
TheMinister of Justice and Constitutional Affairs, Hon. Norbert Mao, hailed theChief Justice’s energetic start and pledged continued advocacy for increasedjudicial funding, describing data-driven reforms and digitisation as criticalto efficiency.
TheAttorney General, Hon. Kiryowa Kiwanuka, underscored the importance of judicialwellness, warning that burnout among judicial officers could undermine justicedelivery. He called on members of the Bar to uphold professionalism andcivility and reiterated support for strengthening mediation frameworks,including positioning Uganda as a hub for commercial mediation.
Theceremony was attended by Judicial Officers at all court levels, senioradministrators, representatives of justice sector agencies, DevelopmentPartners, civil society, and members of the Bar. The Acting Chief Registrar, HWLamunu Pamella Ocaya, served as Director of Programmes, assisted by theJudiciary Public Relations Officer, HW James Ereemye Jumire Mawanda.
Posted 5th, February 2026
