Summary:
Ssegoona also condemned the high bail amounts imposed on ordinary citizens who are often victims of police brutality.
KAMPALA: Members of Parliament on the Legal Committee have strongly criticized the Judiciary for its handling of bail applications, accusing judicial officers of inefficiency and injustice. Some lawmakers questioned whether these officials even deserve their titles, given their delays in making bail decisions.
The criticism was led by Abdu Katuntu (Bugweri County) and Medard Ssegoona (Busiro East) during a meeting with Judiciary officials who had come to present their 2025/26 Ministerial Policy Statement.
“Bail is a simple matter, yet some judicial officers adjourn cases for two weeks just to decide on it. This is madness. It is unprofessional, illegal, and defies common sense. Take a decision grant or deny bail but don’t adjourn for weeks. And yet we address you as Lordships and Worships. How can you be Justices when you cannot dispense justice?” argued Katuntu.
Ssegoona added, “Delaying bail applications contradicts the Constitution, which guarantees freedom unless there is justification for restriction. You are aiding the state in incarcerating innocent people, forcing them to wait weeks to justify their freedom. This is unfair.”
The Judiciary was also criticized for imposing exorbitant bail fees, with Katuntu accusing judicial officers of monetizing the process instead of considering alternative mechanisms to ensure court attendance.
“Why has money become the determining factor in bail? Why don’t we think of other options instead of making it purely economic? Bail is meant to secure attendance in court, but we have reduced it to a financial transaction. If you don’t have money, you have no chance,” Katuntu said.
Ssegoona also condemned the high bail amounts imposed on ordinary citizens who are often victims of police brutality.
“Someone is arrested, beaten up by the police, and brought to court with a swollen face. Instead of ensuring their well-being, you remand them and then impose high bail fees. These are ordinary people struggling to survive. Why make bail so prohibitive?” he questioned.
He further asked whether the Judiciary has a system to review judicial decisions and offered to participate in such reviews. Katuntu suggested enacting a law to regulate bail applications.
“We may need to move beyond guidelines and enact substantive legislation to ensure discretion is exercised judiciously. If the problem persists, the law must intervene,” he remarked.
Responding to the criticism, Pius Bigirimana, Secretary to the Judiciary, apologized for the shortcomings.
“I take this opportunity to apologize on behalf of the Judiciary. Some issues are systemic, while others stem from individual officers. We are working on addressing these weaknesses in both human resources and judicial systems,” he stated.
However, Bigirimana defended the monetization of bail, arguing that it is currently the only available mechanism. “For now, that is the system in place. But we welcome proposals from members on alternative approaches,” he said.
Ssegoona also issued a stark warning, suggesting that if the Judiciary does not restore public trust, Ugandans might resort to extreme measures like their Kenyan counterparts, who burned down Parliament and court buildings in protest.
“You remand a battered and bleeding person instead of ensuring they receive medical care. If people lose faith in the Judiciary, they may resort to mob justice. In Kenya, citizens burned Parliament. We do not want to see Ugandans burning our courts,” he cautioned.
The MPs were also alarmed to learn that the Judiciary had requested a list of all inmates on remand without trial from the Commissioner of Prisons, Johnson Byabashaija. This revelation led Ssegoona to question how the Judiciary could forget about individuals it had remanded.
“You are the ones who issued the remand orders. You know who you remanded and when they were supposed to return to court. How can someone be in prison for a year without your knowledge? The Judiciary keeps records of cases committed to the High Court. Why then do you need a list from the Prisons Service?” Ssegoona asked.
The MPs called for urgent reforms to restore efficiency, fairness, and public confidence in the judicial system.
