Wilson Mutebi, a 72-year-old resident of Kitotolo village in Kikandwa sub-county, Mityana district, expressed deep disappointment. He had hoped that the hearing of a case involving his son—pending for over four years—would finally begin.
Dozens of litigants were left stranded at the Masaka High Court premises on Monday after lawyers stayed away in protest over the absence of judges in the area. Last week, the association of lawyers practicing in the Masaka High Court Circuit declared a sit-down strike to express their dissatisfaction with the lack of judges to adjudicate cases.
The industrial action disrupted proceedings for many litigants who had turned up at court to follow up on their cases, only to find no lawyers present to represent them. Wilson Mutebi, a 72-year-old resident of Kitotolo village in Kikandwa sub-county, Mityana district, expressed deep disappointment. He had hoped that the hearing of a case involving his son—pending for over four years—would finally begin.
He recounted that in 2019, his son was committed to the High Court for a criminal offence. However, the case stalled until March this year when the family hired a lawyer to pursue justice. Mutebi said their quest for justice has now hit an unprecedented hurdle due to the strike.
He appealed to the government to urgently address the lawyers’ grievances to save many Ugandans suffering from delayed justice. Despite his personal frustration, Mutebi acknowledged the protest as a worthy cause if it can help improve the efficiency of court processes.
//Cue in: “Mutabani wange bamuleeta…..
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Meanwhile, Wilberforce Birimumaaso, a resident of Bukoto village in Kabonera sub-county, Masaka district, also voiced support for the strike. He said they are fed up with endless court adjournments, which are financially draining.
He revealed that he has been pursuing a civil suit over a land dispute for the past seven years. However, the matter remains unresolved due to limited time allocated by trial judges.
//Cue in: “tebasala misango gyaffe….
Cue out: …..bayinza okutusinga.”//
Alexander Lule, the Greater Masaka Regional representative to the Uganda Law Society, explained that the sit-down strike stems from longstanding frustrations shared by both lawyers and their clients over the shortage of judges.
He noted that they have repeatedly asked for at least two High Court judges to be deployed in Masaka, but the Judiciary has yet to respond, despite the overwhelming backlog of cases.
Lule urged litigants and judicial officers to bear with the inconvenience of the strike, arguing that it seeks a lasting solution to the persistent problem.
//Cue in: “it is indefinite…..
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Luganda
//Cue in: “omuntu w’abulijjo era…..
Cue out: …..nze oba ggwe.”//
James Ereemye Mawanda, the Judiciary spokesperson, confirmed that they received the petition from the lawyers. He urged them to return to court while relevant authorities work on resolving their concerns.
