Principal Judge Yokoramu Bamwine has implored government to increase financial support to the judiciary in a bid to overcome backlog of cases.

Speaking to media on the sidelines of the African Peer Review Mechanism (APRM) at the Imperial Royale Hotel in Kampala, Justice Bamwine said the case backlogs are a result of obsolete methods applied by judicial officers and lack of funds to establish more judicial centers in the country.

“Judicial service has to change with the way they (officials) handle cases if we are to make justice a reality and that is what we are working on basing on the innovations that we started in the judiciary,” he said, adding: “Pre-bargaining, mediation of minor claims among other ways will lead to clearance of some issues from courts of law.”

Justice Bamwine noted that the APRM team has heard their challenges, and hoped that solutions would be provided after compilation of their report for improvement of service delivery.

The APRM review comes at a time when judicial officers are on strike following government’s failure to increase their salaries and also improve their welfare.

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President Yoweri Museveni has met and held bilateral discussions with His Highness Sheikh Mohamed Bin Zayed Al Nahyan, Crown Prince of Abu Dhabi and Deputy Supreme Commander of the UAE Armed Forces at the Al Shatei Palace in Abu Dhabi.

The President, who is in the United Arab Emirates for a three-day working visit, is also attending the 4^th Annual Global Business Forum at the invitation of the Ruler of Dubai who is also the Vice President and Prime Minister of the United Arab Emirates, His Highness Sheik Mohammed Bin Rashid Al Maktoum.

The two leaders who were meeting for the second time following President Museveni’s first visit to Abu Dhabi in 2014 agreed in concrete terms to consolidate their investment and trade agreements.

The two leaders also discussed bilateral relations of co-operation between the two countries and ways of supporting and developing each others’ countries in infrastructure development, economic development, investment, trade, oil, gas and energy.

President Yoweri Museveni invited the Crown Prince to Uganda, an invitation that was accepted.

Sheikh Mohamed welcomed the President and his delegation to Abu Dhabi and said he hoped the meeting will strengthen the relations and cooperation between their two countries.

The two leaders discussed various ways of supporting and developing each other and opportunities and possibilities available to enhance bilateral co-operation.

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Foreign Affairs Minister Sam Kutesa has received the visiting Hungarian Deputy Minister for Foreign Affairs and Trade Frenc Dancs and the two held deliberations which will culminate in Hungary opening an embassy in Uganda.

Mr. Dancs, who is on an official visit from November 1-4, 2017 said he was in the country to discuss in detail the content of the MoUs on development cooperation between the two foreign ministries. He also congratulated Kutesa for a successful tenure as the 69^th President of the UN General Assembly.

On the commercial diplomacy front, Mr. Dancs informed minister Kutesa that Hungary had selected Uganda as a priority country for development cooperation and would be exploring more business relationships, encouraging its private sector to venture into Uganda’s tourism, agro-processing, pharmaceuticals and oil and gas sector.

On his part Mr Kutesa told Mr. Dancs that Uganda had formally accepted a request from Hungary to open a diplomatic mission at the level of Charge D’Affaires in Kampala in the near future.

The two also discussed various issues on the multilateral and bilateral front, particularly areas from which they could learn from each other on handling refugee crises.

Minister Kutesa will visit Hungary in the second half of November 2017, during which a number of MoUs in various sectors will also be finalized and signed.

The meeting was attended by senior officials from both ministries of Foreign Affairs, as well as the Honorary Consul of Hungary in Uganda, Mr. Gordon Wavamunno

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Journalists under the umbrella of Online Media Publishers Association have this evening demanded for unconditional release of two Investigator News Journalists.
The Uganda Police Force On Wednesday evening detained Stanley Ndawula, the proprietor of Investigator News and Robert Ndawula, a reporter of the same online media house.

The duo was arrested after being interrogated at Police’s Criminal Investigations and Intelligence Department (CIID). The police is said to be holding the two journalists on charges related to offensive communication under the Computer Misuse Act.

Stanley Ndawula, who has previously criticized the police leadership, alleges some powerful officials in the law enforcement body, want him remanded at Luzira Prison.
He further states he was provided documents to sign for police bond which was not granted to him before being driven to Kiira Road Police Station in Kampala where he is incarcerated.
Other journalists who appeared at the police station to check on their colleague were also asked to record statements.

“We call on Police authorities to stop this arbitrary harassment of journalists and respect freedom of the press, as called for in the country’s constitution,” the journalists say, adding that; “When the public’s right to know is threatened, and when the rights of free speech and free press are at risk, all of the other liberties we hold dear are endangered.”

The oneline journalsts under their president Gile Muhame, say that a free press is the cornerstone of democracy. “We need a free press. We must have it,” they say.
The journalists have urged the Police force to always be mindful of Article 20 and Article 221, which require that all organs and agencies of government including security organizations and all persons must observe, uphold and respect human rights and freedoms in the performance of their functions.
Muhame says OMPA is currently in talks with relevant authorities to secure the journalists’ unconditional release from detention.

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