The Deputy Chief Justice, Hon. Justice Alfonse Chigamoy Owiny-Dollo, welcomed the World Bank support towards the strengthening of land administration and adjudication in Uganda.
The Bank has availed US$1 million (over USh.3.75 billion) grant into a project aimed at strengthening Uganda's mechanism for resolving land disputes for three months. It is to be implemented jointly by the Judiciary and the Ministry of Lands' Housing and Urban Development.
World Bank officials: Ms Nicola Smithers (Practice Manager) and Ms Barbara Magezi Ndamira (Senior Practice Manager) on Friday,February 01, 2019 met the DCJ to follow-up on the planned implementation of the project. The meeting was attended by Hon. Justice Gadenya Paul Wolimbwa(Judiciary Projects/ Commercial Div.), HW Fred Waninda (Acting Registrar for Planning & Development) and HW Phillip Odoki (Private Legal Secretary toDCJ).
Hon. Justice Owiny-Dollo said outreach programmes could be used to stop much of land conflicts. "Judicial officers could go to the conflict areas and sensitize the public about land adjudication," he said.
World Bank's Magezi revealed that there would be additional resources worth US$3 million (about USh.11.25 billion) for a 15-month construction and development of a One-Stop Centre for Land Adjudication.
The project shall, among others, involve the interaction and engagement between government departments/agencies in the land sector as well as stakeholders directly affected by land justice and special court sessions.
Special Land Justice Sessions Planned
A team of 15 High Court Judges and 12 Magistrates will be identified to conduct 27 special land justice sessions in different parts of the country between February and March 2019 - targeting 930 cases.
Fifty percent of the cases comprise cases affecting government infrastructural developments; cases with mortgages in Commercial Court and High Court circuits (25 percent). Others would be cases of succession involving widows, the aged, orphans and the vulnerable (10 percent) and backlogged cases filed before 2010 (15 percent).
Participating courts will include the High Court Divisions of Land, Commercial and Civil Division, and the High Court Circuits of Jinja, Mukono, Mbale, Mpigi, Mbarara and Lira. Others will be the Chief Magistrates Courts of Nakawa, Mengo, Makindye, Entebbe, Mukono, Wakiso,Mpigi and Nabweru.
The team will first undergo a one day training session on best practices with other stakeholders and then the sessions will be launched by the Chief Justice.
Posted 4th, February 2019
