Residents in Wakiso District have accused the Judiciary of delaying justice delivery and frustrating litigants through prolonged court processes, particularly in land disputes that have dragged on for years without resolution.
The concerns were raised Tuesday during the Wakiso High Court Open Day held at the court premises in Nabweru under the theme ‘Justice that Listens, Serves and Resolves.’ The event was presided over by Uganda’s Chief Justice, Flavian Zeija.
Several residents narrated experiences of delayed rulings, missing court files and financial losses incurred while pursuing justice through courts of law.
Mr Livingstone Ssembatya, a resident of Kaasangombe in Wakiso Town Council, said he has been battling a land case since 2014 without obtaining justice.
‘I reported a land case to court in 2014, and up to today, I’m still seeking justice. I’m an old man who is about to die, but they cannot even have mercy on me,’ Mr Ssembatya said.
According to documents filed before the Wakiso Chief Magistrate’s Court, Mr Ssembatya claims ownership of a kibanja on land comprised in Busiro Block 244 Plot 21, registered in the names of Julayina Najuka, the mother of Mukasa Fred Kisekka, who also claims ownership.
Mr Ssembatya alleged that the landowners had agreed to allocate him one acre out of a nine-acre piece of land before reneging on the arrangement and denying him access to the kibanja.
‘I have spent a lot of money paying the lawyer who has represented me since then. I was evicted from my kibanja, and they are now threatening to kill me if I ever return to that land. Where should we seek justice if even courts are not serving us to our expectations?’ he asked tearfully.
Another resident, Mr Ibrahim Sseguya of Kkungu, said his court file regarding alleged illegal transfers on his land title disappeared shortly after he filed the case in Matugga last year.
He said despite repeatedly following up with court authorities, the file has never been recovered.
‘It seems there’s something happening behind my back because how can they fail to produce my file for all those months?’ he asked.
Mr Frank Muyimbwa also complained of delays in handling his land dispute, which he filed in 2022.
He said the matter was later transferred to Nabweru Chief Magistrate’s Court, where it has remained unresolved for two years.
‘I request the inspector of courts to always visit local courts frequently because they abandon our cases and don’t communicate with us on the way forward,’ Mr Muyimbwa said.
Mr Godfrey Mulondo, a resident of Lubya-Munaku, said his land dispute has moved through several courts since 2015 without resolution.
‘The case was first taken to Kakiri Court and was later transferred to the High Court Land Division before it was brought here at Wakiso High Court. I want my case to be handled and the issues resolved because I cannot use my plot at the moment,’ he said.
The concerns were echoed by Zambaali Bulasio Mukasa, who criticised delays in the justice system and called for urgent intervention.
‘A person waits for years, and at the end, they are denied justice. Let’s see where the issue is and have it addressed,’ Mr Zambaali said.
He also expressed concern over prolonged detention without trial in prisons across the country, blaming it on delayed court hearings and inadequate staffing in the Judiciary.
The head of the Wakiso High Court Circuit, Justice Sarah Langa Siu, acknowledged the growing case backlog, revealing that since the court’s establishment on June 5, 2025, it has registered 5,473 cases.
She said 1,322 cases have been disposed of, while 4,151 remain pending, with land disputes accounting for 54 percent of the backlog.
Chief Justice Zeija attributed the delays to staffing shortages and inadequate funding for the Judiciary.
‘We have only 88 judges of the High Court out of the required 150 judges,’ Dr Zeija said.
‘Here at Wakiso High Court, we are supposed to have four judges, but because of funds, we have only one,’ he added.
Dr Zeija appealed to legislators, including Mr Zambaali, to advocate for increased funding to the Judiciary to improve justice delivery.
‘All along, we have been operating on a budget of only 0.3 percent of the national budget. It has now slightly increased to 0.6 percent, but still it is not enough,’ he said.