A Court of Appeal session in Gulu was thrown into uncertainty on Tuesday after 10 of 29 inmates listed to have their appeals heard were found to be unavailable, exposing gaps in communication between the Uganda Prisons Service and the Judiciary.
The development prompted Deputy Chief Justice Moses Kazibwe Kawumi to direct prison authorities to promptly inform the Judiciary about the status and whereabouts of inmates whose cases are scheduled for hearing.
The two-day criminal appeals session, which opened on Tuesday at the Gulu High Court, is being presided over by a three-member panel comprising Lady Justice Eva Luswata, Justice Dr Asa Mugenyi and Justice Musa Ssekaana. They are handling appeals arising from serious offences, including aggravated robbery, murder and aggravated defilement.
The cases involve sentences ranging from 18 to 45 years in prison, life imprisonment and the death penalty. It is also expected to provide an opportunity for convicts whose appeals have remained pending for years to have their cases heard.
However, during a stakeholders’ engagement held ahead of the hearings, Patrick Musura, the Officer in Charge of Gulu Main Prison, told the Deputy Chief Justice that 10 of the 29 appellants listed for the session were absent. Musura said three of the appellants had already been released, while another had reportedly died in Apaa, a disputed area along the Amuru-Adjumani border.
He said three other appellants were being traced, while four were being transported from Kampala. Musura also told the meeting that prison authorities were still trying to establish details about some of the appellants.
“My Lord, we have three. We have not yet got their details, but I am in touch with Prisons headquarters. In case the information is available, we are still going to brief you,” Musura said.
Justice Kazibwe criticised the Uganda Prisons Service for failing to communicate such information to the Judiciary in advance, particularly where appellants had been released, died or could no longer be traced.
“I always urge my officers in prison to give us information. When a prisoner dies, inform us. So, report early those who have been released, those who have died so we can put in the names of those who are still serving,” he said.
The Deputy Chief Justice said timely communication was essential because organising criminal appeals sessions requires significant public resources, which could be wasted when appellants listed on the cause list are unavailable.
He urged prison authorities in other facilities across the country to improve coordination with the Judiciary and ensure that accurate information about inmates awaiting appellate hearings is provided in good time.
Alice Akello Latigo, a defence lawyer representing three appellants serving life sentences for murder and aggravated robbery, said the session would allow some inmates to finally access justice after years of waiting.
Akello represents Lakony Opiyo, Mark Okeja Okumu and Benson Anywar, who were convicted on July 27, 2010, over the murder of George Okema, alias Lahulu, and subsequently imprisoned at Luzira Upper Prison.
At the opening of the session, Gulu High Court Resident Judge Phillips Odoki said the appellate hearings could further reduce the court’s criminal case backlog. He said only 66 criminal cases were currently pending before the Gulu High Court, expressing optimism that the court could clear its criminal backlog after the ongoing session.
“The High Court only now has 66 cases. We are hopeful, because we are right now in the middle of the criminal session, that after this session, we should be completely case-backlog-free in the area of criminal cases,” Justice Odoki said.
Justice Odoki said the overall caseload at the Gulu High Court Circuit had also declined significantly, from about 3,800 cases four years ago to 1,467 cases currently. He attributed the reduction to the use of plea bargaining and the establishment of additional High Court circuits in Patongo and Kitgum.
The additional circuits, he said, have helped ease pressure on the Gulu High Court and contributed to the reduction in the number of cases awaiting trial.
The Gulu appeals session comes amid the construction of a 30 billion Shillings Regional Court of Appeal in Gulu City. Construction of the facility was launched in July 2025, with completion and handover to the Judiciary expected in May 2027. The new facility is expected to expand access to appellate justice in northern Uganda and provide additional capacity for the growing demand for appeals in the region-URN. Give us feedback on this story through our email: kamwokyatimes@gmail.com
