Work on Shs250b justice centre starts

The long awaited construction of the one-stop centre for the Justice Law and Order Sector (Jlos House) has kicked off in Naguru, near Kampala.

While breaking ground on Friday, acting Justice minister Wilson Muruli Mukasa said upon completion, the facility will save government $6.9 million (about Shs25b) per year in renting office space for key justice institutions.

“Upon completion, the Jlos House, a one-stop centre, shall provide customised accommodation for front-line Jlos institutions with 60,040 square meters of office space and parking for more than 2,300 vehicles at a cost of Shs256b. In the grand scheme of things, this project shall save the government of Uganda and the tax payer a substantial amount of operational funds annually spent on rent,” Minister Muruli said.

“Perhaps, the most immediate value of the Jlos House shall be the ability to enable the government to provide public services in a cost effective and responsive manner. For example, a person following up a criminal complaint shall be able to interact with the police, the office of the DPP and the court within the same complex. This is in line with our goal of reducing the cost of accessing public services through cutting public costs of accessing our services,” the minister added.

The minister also said the one-stop centre will help in preventing litigants from moving from place to place looking for justice institutions.

“So this scattering of the justice institutions in the various parts of the city is on its way out. Forty-nine months from today, that will be history,” he said.

The institutions that will have their offices housed under the Jlos House include; Justice ministry, Internal Affairs ministry, High Court, Office of the Director of Public Prosecutions (DPP), Uganda prisons, Uganda Law Reform Commission, Uganda Human Rights Commission and Tax Appeals Tribunal.

Others are Judicial Service Commission, Centre for Arbitration and Dispute Resolution, Uganda Registration Services Bureau, the National Identification and Registration Authority (NIRA) and the Jlos secretariat.

The project consultant is Symbion U Ltd while the contructor is Seyani Brothers and Company Ltd.
The first phase that will comprise three blocks of 11 floors, is expected to be completed within 49 months. The buildings will be on a five-acre piece of land.

Internal Affairs minister Gen Kahinda Otafiire, in a speech read by the permanent secretary, Lt Gen Joseph Musanyufu, explained the benefits of the Jlos house project.

“This landmark project will bring us closer together as institutions responsible for access to justice and law and order. It is an opportunity for us to renew our partnership and collaboration as we grow in the governance and security programme,” Gen Otafiire stated.

He added: “It embodies the importance of working together to attain our mutual objectives. It reflects the importance of working together under our programmes and should be a lesson to others on the critical importance of collaboration and coordination.”

The minister also called upon the contractor/ consultant to ensure that they complete the project on time.

“The demand for the facility is high and the potential it brings for the growth of this part of the city is clear. I confirm our full support to this project on behalf of the ministry of Internal Affairs and look forward to the successful completion of this project,” he said.

Background

The Jlos House is an infrastructure development project aimed at strengthening good governance principles by making it easier for justice sectoral institutions to coordinate and offer better services leading to enhanced transparency, accountability, and ethics in a purpose-built office park involved in the administration of justice and the rule of law.