The Principal Judge of Uganda, Dr. Flavian Zeija, has tasked the Resident District Commissioners (RDCs), Resident City Commissioners (RCCs) and their Deputies to be very cautious while executing court orders.
Dr. Zeija made the plea during the ongoing RDCs’ and RCCs’ induction retreat at the National Leadership Institute (NALI), Kyankwanzi, on Thursday, July 28, 2022.
The Principal Judge told the Commissioners that they should not refuse to implement the decisions of court as long as they are lawful.
“A court order is premised on the legal principle that the successful party in a court decision should realise the fruits of their judgment. Otherwise, the process of according remedies to the successful party would be incomplete,” Dr. Zeija explained.
“It is of high importance that orders of the court should be obeyed. Willful disobedience of an order of court by any person or authority is punishable as contempt of court. This clearly illustrates why court will not sit and watch in the wake of contempt of court by any person or authority. So, as RDCs and RCCs you should always obey the court decisions.”
He also highlighted the modes through which a court order is supposed to be executed.
“A court order is executed by delivery of any property specifically decreed; by attachment and sale or by sale without attachment of any property; or by arrest and detention in prison of any person, among others.”
Dr. Zeija also asked the RDCs, RCCs and their deputies to interest themselves in mediating conflicting parties. This, he said, will help court to save time.
“Mediation is a process by which a neutral third person facilities communication between parties to a dispute and assists them in reaching a mutually agreed resolution of the dispute,” he stated.
He added:
“RDCs, you’re mediators but of course we have mediation rules. Ideally, we have to train you first on how to do it. The mediator must endeavor to act fairly towards the parties in mediation. When you become mediators, you help court to save time, save costs, and help conflicting parties to restore relationships.”
Dr. Zeija also asked the inductees to file complaints with the Judiciary in case courts issue rulings that they consider to have implications on the wellbeing of their areas of jurisdiction.
On her part, Mrs. Anne Twinomugisha Muhairwe, the Deputy Inspector General of Government, cautioned RDCs, RCCs and their Deputies against taking part in corruption tendencies.
“Some RDCs and RCCs obtain money from complainants who have failed to get jobs they applied for. Others influence to hinder or stop IGG investigations of corruption cases, whereas others fail to monitor Government programs like Emyooga, PDM and UWEP. Some Commissioners also involve themselves in illegal evictions and transactions,” she asserted.
Mrs. Muhairwe added that corruption is a very deadly vice that takes a huge chunk of Uganda’s budget annually.
“The approved budget for 2022/2023 is of figure Shs48. 1 trillion. Out of this, Shs10 trillion goes to corruption which means 21 percent of our budget is going to be eaten. Corruption has dire consequences on the lives of all citizens and has a disproportionate impact on an ordinary person,” she revealed.
“Despite all the foresight effort and resources invested in establishing the framework to eliminate corruption in Uganda, it is still growing by leaps and bounds, to now pandemic proportions.”
Mrs. Muhairwe asked the Commissioners to do advocacy and cause mindset change among citizens in order to overcome the vice.
“Let’s be exemplary. You don’t have to benefit from everything you do. At least be good examples to the young generation.”
She said some RDCs had been named in corruption-related complaints and that after investigations they would be summoned to answer. The RDCs also answered back saying the office of IGG needed to be more diligent and swift in investigating complaints they file.
It was agreed that the IGG’s office will hold regional workshops and foster closer cooperation with the RDCs, RCCs and their Deputies as the eyes of the President in the fight against corruption.
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