Masaka lawyers lay down tools, demand deployment of more judges
Mr Alexander Lule addresses journalists at Masaka High Court as he announces a sit-down strike over the lack of adequate judicial officers in Masaka District. PHOTO BY MALIK FAHAD JJINGO
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Led by Mr Alexander Lule, the President of the Uganda Law Society - Masaka Chapter, the lawyers say their strike will begin on Monday, June 16, and will affect the entire Masaka Court Circuit, which serves the nine districts of Greater Masaka and Masaka City
Lawyers operating in the Masaka region have laid down their tools, demanding the urgent deployment of more judges.
Led by Mr Alexander Lule, the President of the Uganda Law Society - Masaka Chapter, the lawyers say their strike will begin on Monday, June 16, and will affect the entire Masaka Court Circuit, which serves the nine districts of Greater Masaka and Masaka City.
“We won’t return to court until our concerns are addressed. We want the Judiciary to come to the rescue of our clients and deploy more High Court judges in the region. One judge in the Masaka Court Circuit cannot do much to reduce the enormous case backlog,” Mr Lule said during a press conference at the Masaka High Court premises on Friday.
He expressed disappointment that the Judiciary has not taken sufficient steps to address their concerns, despite several petitions highlighting the shortage of High Court judges in the area.
“Despite our efforts to pursue alternative solutions, we have faced significant frustrations — including delays in the hearing of cases, adjournments without proper justification, and a lack of meaningful engagement with court administration to address the case backlog. These frustrations have left us with no choice but to take collective action to draw the Judiciary’s attention to this crisis,” he added.
According to records from the Masaka High Court registry, as of April 10, 2025, the circuit had a total of 4,290 pending cases. These include 1,141 civil cases — the highest category — followed by 1,188 land cases and 455 family-related cases, among others.
Mr Hebert Zikusooka, another lawyer in the region, explained that although Masaka has four Chief Magistrates and over 20 Grade One Magistrates, all the cases they handle eventually require the attention of a single High Court judge Lady Justice Fatumah Nanziri Bwanika. She is currently presiding over a criminal session, which means appeals from lower courts and bail applications remain unattended, further delaying justice.
Zikusooka, who is among the defense lawyers for private bodyguards of National Unity Platform Principal Robert Kyagulanyi, said bail applications for clients such as Edward Ssebuufu, Achilleo Kivumbi, Mugumya Gaddafi, and Grace Wakabi (alias Smart) recently committed to the High Court are all pending due to the unavailability of a judge to handle their matters.
“The lack of sufficient judicial personnel, including resident judges, has worsened the case backlog and crippled the efficient functioning of the court. We, as advocates in Greater Masaka, are deeply concerned about the implications of this crisis on the rule of law and access to justice,” he said.
Mr. Herbert Kichoncho, another lawyer in the region, said it is unfair to continue accepting money from clients to file new cases when existing ones are not being handled due to the shortage of judicial officers.
Similarly, Mr Sam Ssekyewa noted that he has lost several clients as a result of cases not being heard on time.
“The Judiciary should treat this matter seriously. The Masaka High Court Circuit has been without a substantive judge for over a year, and Justice Bwanika was posted only two months ago. This is a vast circuit and deserves at least three judges. If a smaller area like Mukono can have more than three judges, why not Masaka?” he asked.
However, Mr James Ereemye Mawanda, the Judiciary spokesperson, urged the lawyers to remain calm, noting that the issue of case backlog is a nationwide problem that the Judiciary is working hard to resolve.
“The Judiciary has long been lobbying for the appointment of more judges, and we remain hopeful that once appointments are made, the deploying authority will post more judges to areas like Masaka. The shortage of judicial officers is a countrywide challenge,” he said.
Currently, a total of 27 law firms and 50 lawyers operate in the Masaka sub-region.
