Obongi , Uganda – The Grade One Magistrate of Moyo, His Worship Kabwana Derick, has disclosed that special court sessions will be held in Obongi District.
The decision follows a resolution by the Obongi District Security Committee, which raised concerns about the lack of judiciary services in the district.
During a meeting held on May 29, the Obongi District Security Committee expressed concern over the absence of justice and delays in legal processes due to the lack of a magistrate, Resident State Attorney (RSA), court clerk, and other judicial staff. Since its creation in 2019, Obongi District has never had a prison, remand home, or court infrastructure.
Two magistrates previously deployed to Obongi left due to the absence of other judicial officers and the challenges of working in a hard-to-reach area.
Currently, the nearest court available to residents of Obongi is located in Moyo District, approximately 70 kilometers away, which poses further challenges due to limited transport options such as taxis and boda-bodas.
The District Security Committee therefore requested the government to deploy judicial officers and construct court facilities in Obongi. In response, the Grade One Magistrate of Moyo held an emergency meeting with the Resident District Commissioner (RDC) of Obongi. During the meeting, he acknowledged that the people of Obongi had been denied access to justice for a long time. He resolved to travel to Obongi every Monday to handle civil cases.
Additionally, he announced that all civil cases involving amounts below 10 million shillings will be handled in Obongi District under the Small Claims Procedure, starting from June 23, 2025, when the initiative will be officially launched at the district headquarters.
