Plea-bargaining sessions in Kiryandongo Refugee Settlement should be held four times a year instead of twice to help clear the growing backlog of criminal cases and bring justice closer to refugees, the Director of Public Prosecutions has said.
DPP Lino Anguzu made the call on Tuesday while officiating at a Mobile Court Session at Kiryandongo Refugee Settlement, organised by the Refugee Law Project (RLP) and facilitated by the Government of the Kingdom of the Netherlands. The Mobile Court is intended to bring justice services closer to refugees and other vulnerable members of the community who face challenges accessing the formal court system.
Anguzu said the initiative demonstrates the commitment of criminal justice institutions to improving access to justice, particularly for disadvantaged communities. He said timely resolution of criminal cases is essential for maintaining peace and order and creating a conducive environment for economic growth and development. Anguzu also urged refugees and other community members to respect Ugandan laws and cooperate with justice institutions to ensure cases are resolved expeditiously.
“Do not violate the law. If you do, come clean because this allows closure for the victim. You can do this through a plea bargain. However, don’t plea bargain just to get out of prison. That is not why plea bargaining was designed,” he said. He pledged the support of the Office of the Director of Public Prosecutions towards plea-bargaining sessions in the settlement and proposed increasing the sessions from twice to four times a year.
Anguzu also urged refugees to familiarise themselves with Uganda’s laws, justice institutions and legal processes, warning that ignorance of the law would not shield them from prosecution. “Be part of the socio-economic transformation without breaking the law. If you break the law, we will come to you,” he cautioned.
The DPP also raised concern over the shortage of prosecutors in Kiryandongo, saying the district deserved special consideration because of the large refugee population it hosts. The settlement’s commandant, Vincent Amaruma Mariza, said Kiryandongo currently hosts about 170,000 refugees from 15 countries.
He said the Mobile Court was established after stakeholders realised that dwindling resources could make it difficult to transport refugees to the main court in Kiryandongo. “We realised that because of dwindling resources, refugees may not be transported to our court in Kiryandongo. So we decided with other stakeholders to establish a mobile court,” Amaruma said.
He said the court not only brings justice services closer to refugees but also helps them understand court procedures and their rights. Amaruma said about three-quarters of those who attended Tuesday’s session were refugees and reiterated concern over the shortage of prosecutors amid what he described as an increasing crime rate.
Kiryandongo Chief Magistrate Samson Abitti said wider use of plea bargaining could significantly reduce the backlog of criminal cases. “If plea bargaining is well utilised, we can significantly reduce our backlog,” he said. Abitti described refugees as a vulnerable population facing unique challenges arising from displacement and separation from their homes and called for more resources for justice institutions.
He also appealed for land to enable the DPP’s office to establish adequate facilities, saying limited office space was affecting prosecutors’ work and, consequently, court operations. The Resident State Attorney in Kiryandongo, Roseline Rukundo, similarly called for additional prosecutors and adequate office space. She also stressed the need to balance the rights and interests of victims and accused persons during plea-bargaining proceedings.
Kiryandongo Deputy RDC Jonathan Akweteireho said the district hosts one of Uganda’s oldest refugee settlements, established in 1954, and is home to people from different nationalities. He also raised concern over the number of juvenile offenders and urged Justice, Law and Order Sector institutions to consider the unique circumstances of refugees when handling their cases.
Kiryandongo LCV Vice Chairperson Peace Salaama said some refugees are unfamiliar with Ugandan laws and may not know that certain acts constitute criminal offences because they were not offences in their countries of origin. She also raised concern over increasing cases involving land transactions, noting that refugees are not permitted to permanently own land under Ugandan law.
The Director of the Refugee Law Project, Dr Pius Ojara, commended the DPP for officiating at the Mobile Court and thanked the Dutch government for facilitating the initiative. Dr Ojara pledged to organise two additional Mobile Court sessions to further bring justice services closer to refugees and other members of the community. The session concluded several criminal cases through plea bargaining.
In one case, a refugee identified as Bosco Bosco entered a plea bargain with the State and was convicted and sentenced to 18 months in prison for defilement of a 15-year-old girl. The Mobile Court attracted refugees, crime victims, relatives of victims, local leaders, justice actors, and other community members-URN. Give us feedback on this story through our email: kamwokyatimes@gmail.com
