By KT Reporter
The Foundation for Human Rights Initiative (FHRI) has announced plans to empower inmates in Nyamushekera Prison with skills for self-representation, alongside capacity-building for prison officers. FHRI Executive Director, Livingstone Sewanyana, revealed the initiative on Wednesday in Bushenyi District during a ceremony recognizing champions for change in the Greater Bushenyi region.
The awards celebrated individuals and institutions that made outstanding contributions to criminal justice reform and human rights promotion in 2024/25. Sewanyana said the organisation will also build the capacity of Police Criminal Investigators (CIDs) and Community Liaison Officers (CLOs), and conduct hybrid plea-bargain sessions. “We shall continue to seek permission and cooperate with the police, the prisons, and the courts regarding procedure guarantees, like granting of police bond, bail,” he stated.
In his keynote address, Resident Judge of the Bushenyi High Court Circuit, Justice Amos Kwizera, emphasized that timely access to justice is a fundamental human right under Uganda’s Constitution. He noted that failure to provide timely justice—especially for individuals in conflict with the law—constitutes a violation.
Justice Kwizera highlighted bottlenecks affecting timely justice, including failure by police to conduct thorough investigations before arrests, humane treatment in police cells, the right to police bond, prompt presentation of suspects before court, and the right to bail. He called for continuous public sensitization on bond and bail guidelines, as well as a better understanding of remand procedures.
“When a suspect goes to prison on remand, again the public and the community need to be sensitized, if he is a complainant or a victim, you release this person on bail, in the village they will complain, you see, police arrested but court has released, It’s because you do not know the rights of this person, So let us go out to the communities where crime originates, Let us empower and train them,” he said.
During the ceremony, several individuals were awarded for outstanding contributions to human rights and justice. The Police category award went to Maurice Olum, the Mitooma District Police Commander. The Office of the Director of Public Prosecutions category was won by Baguma Batson, the Bushenyi District State Attorney.
The Prison Service award was given to Desire Johnson, the court orderly of Buhweju Prisons. The Local Government award was presented to Jemmimah Buhanda. The Office of the RDC category award was received by Kikashemeza Bron, the Rukungiri District Resident Commissioner. Two exceptional awards were presented to Hon. Justice Amos Kwizera and Natamba Penilop, the community service officer responsible for managing convicts sentenced to community service.
Justice Kwizera was recognized for his outstanding work in reducing the case backlog he inherited from the Mbarara High Court Circuit, which stood at 1,000 cases when the Bushenyi High Court was officially opened two years ago. According to court records, the Bushenyi High Court receives between 600 and 700 cases annually, and nearly three-quarters of these are disposed of within the year.
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