As a member of the UJOA Executive Committee, I joined my colleagues this week for a candid engagement with the Chief Justice, Hon. Dr. Flavian Zeija, at the Supreme Court in Kampala. Our mission:
to put before him the everyday realities facing Judicial Officers, especially those of us on the lower bench,
and to push for tangible action.
Led by our President, HW Ayebare Daphne, we presented a memorandum touching on pay, welfare,
security and working conditions. The case was simple, the lower bench’s jurisdiction has expanded
significantly in recent years, and the workload of Magistrates has grown with it. What hasn’t kept pace
is the support system around us: remuneration, transport, housing, medical cover, and protection from
the growing threat of online harassment.
The Chief Justice listened, and responded with specifics rather than platitudes. Salary reform, he
said, remains a priority and will be rolled out progressively. On security, he confirmed the Judiciary
is in active talks with Police leadership, and urged any officer facing a direct threat to report it formally. He also flagged plans for a possible joint task force with the DPP and the Uganda Communications
Commission to confront cyber bullying targeting Judicial Officers and our families, a concern many
of us carry quietly.
There was good news on infrastructure too: new court buildings, particularly in hard-to-reach districts, will
now include accommodation for officers and staff. And the paperless courts agenda continues to gain
ground, with the ECCMIS rollout backed by fresh IT recruitment.
Not every ask was met with a yes. Support for regional and international conferences remains constrained by UJOA’s status as a non-statutory body, something we’ll need to resolve if we want fuller institutional backing.
What stood out most to me was the tone of the meeting itself. This wasn’t a courtesy call, it was a
working session between an association determined to advocate for its members and a Chief Justice
willing to engage on the substance. That, more than any single commitment, is what gives me confidence
that the welfare of Judicial Officers is genuinely on the Judiciary’s agenda.
