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Kampala– A delegation from the Uganda Police Force, led by Deputy Inspector General of Police James Ocaya, yesterday paid a courtesy call on the Chief Justice, Justice Dr. Flavian Zeija, at the Supreme Court building in Kampala.
The delegation included AIGP Twaruhukwa Erasmus (Director of Research, Planning and Development), SCP Chelimo Beata (Deputy Director CID), and ACP Andrew Mubiru (Acting Director, Forensic Services). Also present was HW Mwesigye Julius, Personal Assistant to the Chief Justice.
The meeting focused on strengthening collaboration between the Judiciary and the Police, particularly in governance, security, and the administration of justice.
In his remarks, the Chief Justice welcomed the delegation and underscored the central role of collaboration in the justice chain, noting that criminal cases originate from police investigations and require seamless coordination between institutions to ensure effective justice delivery.
He emphasised the need to break operational silos across the security and justice actors, observing that intelligence gathered by agencies such as CID is not always shared with the Judiciary. This, he noted, limits oversight, accountability, and the ability to address concerns such as allegations of judicial misconduct. To bridge this gap, he proposed the introduction of quarterly inter-agency engagements involving CID, forensic, and research units to review challenges and improve coordination.
Addressing resource constraints, the Chief Justice highlighted ongoing budgetary challenges affecting both institutions. Drawing from his experience on the bench, he noted that delays in funding approvals and disbursements have, at times, constrained operations for both the Judiciary and Police. He explained that interim measures, including the use of internal Judiciary funds to facilitate certain police operations such as witness handling, have been adopted in the past, but are not sustainable.
He further revealed that the Judiciary has experienced a budget reduction of UGX 2 billion this financial year, raising concerns about its impact on the Administration of Justice Programme. He proposed that these concerns be escalated through the Permanent Secretary/Secretary to the Judiciary, with the involvement of the Principal Judge to strengthen coordination and alignment of priorities.
The Chief Justice also raised operational challenges, including limited availability of suitable police vehicles for court-related security operations and constraints around emergency procurements. He suggested that temporary reallocation of available resources within the system could help mitigate some of these challenges.
He nevertheless commended the Uganda Police Force for improvements in capacity, infrastructure, and investigative tools, particularly in forensic and tracking capabilities, noting that such progress has contributed to reductions in crime despite prevailing resource limitations. He encouraged the Police to continue documenting and sharing periodic reports to enhance transparency and institutional learning.
Speaking on behalf of the delegation, Deputy IGP James Ocaya congratulated the Chief Justice upon his appointment and reaffirmed
The Police’s commitment to strengthening collaboration with the Judiciary. He noted that the visit was also intended to explore practical ways of improving coordination between the two institutions.
He highlighted findings from the Police’s recently launched annual crime report, which identified case backlog as a key challenge within the justice system. He observed that misalignment between police case files and court cause lists has at times resulted in delays, as police officers may not be fully aware of matters scheduled for hearing.
The Deputy IGP also raised concerns about reduced funding for capacity building of CID officers, noting that this has affected the timeliness and quality of investigations, with a direct impact on the pace of prosecutions.
