Chief justice Bart Katureebe has heaped praises on outgoing Permanent Secretary Kivumbi Kagole for ensuring timely payment of judicial staff.
Kagole was last week forced to take leave and is under investigation by both the police and parliament over a Shs32b loss to the institution.
He has been replaced by Pius Bigirimana, who was serving as PS at the Ministry of Gender.
Katurebe, who was speaking at a ceremony at which Kagole handed over office to Bigirimana on Wednesday at the High court headquarters here in Kamapla, also voiced his anger at allegations that the institution was marred by corruption following a report from the Office of the Auditor General to Parliament on the judiciary expenditure.
One of the contentious issues in the report was that two toilets at the chief justice home and at the Entebbe court had been constructed at a cost of Shs400million and that this had tarnished the name and the image of the office of the chief Justice.
“I wish this (handover ceremony) was a happier occasion. I do not want to pretend that I am happy. This has happened at a time when we have been dragged so much in the mud,” he said.
Last month, Kagole labored to explain to the Parliament’s Public Accounts Committee that some of the funds where spent on unforeseeable activities like new recruited judges.
While handing over office, he called upon Bigirimana to follow up on the remuneration of judicial officers, enactment of the Judiciary administration bill that is still hanging, allowances of judges and the construction of the Supreme Court and Court of Appeal.
On his part, Bigirimana said he was aware he has been transferred to a very important arm of the government.
“I want to assure you that I come here with a lot of experience and that I will apply the principles as required. I have got a policy of reaching out to others to know how things are done though, I have got some few other ideas,” Bigirimana said, adding that he’d seek advice from top judiciary managers.
