The Judiciary and the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) have reaffirmed their partnership to improve access to justice in Uganda through the implementation of the Strengthening Trade, Rights, Inclusion, Justice and Dispute Resolution (STRIDE Uganda) Project.
The commitment was made during a consultative meeting held on Wednesday and chaired by Judiciary Under Secretary, Maureen Kasande. The meeting brought together officials from the Judiciary and UNDP to agree on the project’s priority areas, key interventions and implementation plans ahead of its launch in August.
Speaking at the meeting, Ms Kasande commended UNDP for its continued support to Uganda’s justice sector, saying the partnership will play a vital role in strengthening the administration of justice across the country.
She emphasized the need to improve service delivery through a people-centred approach, noting that strategic collaborations are essential in enabling the Judiciary to fulfil its mandate of delivering quality justice services to all Ugandans.
UNDP Team Leader for Governance and Peace, Annet Mpabulungi Wakabi, said the one-year project will be implemented under the UNDP-funded Global Programme on Rule of Law, Human Rights and Justice for Peace, Security and Development (GP5 Phase V), with the Judiciary serving as a key implementing partner.
She said the STRIDE Uganda Project aims to improve access to justice, promote responsible business conduct and strengthen dispute resolution systems, particularly along the Busia cross-border trade corridor and in Buvuma Island.
According to Ms Mpabulungi, innovative justice delivery models introduced under the project will later be replicated in other island districts and underserved communities, expanding access to legal services for vulnerable populations.
The project adopts an integrated approach that combines responsible business conduct, community justice initiatives, digital innovation and mobile court services to bring justice closer to communities that have traditionally faced challenges in accessing the formal justice system.
One of the flagship interventions under the project is the expansion of mobile court services through the procurement and operationalisation of a dedicated boat to serve island communities, significantly improving access to judicial services in hard-to-reach areas.
STRIDE will also strengthen Alternative Dispute Resolution (ADR), commercial dispute resolution and referral mechanisms between Local Council Courts and the formal justice system. In addition, it will support the training of Local Council Court members and mediators in case management, gender-responsive justice, commercial dispute resolution and ADR to enhance grassroots justice delivery.
The initiative aligns with the Judiciary’s Strategic Plan, the Administration of Justice Programme and the National Development Plan IV, while providing an opportunity to leverage development partner support to improve justice delivery across Uganda.
