Judiciary warns of court closures over unpaid rent

The Secretary to the Judiciary, Mr. Pius Bigirimana, has warned that courts across the country may be forced to close due to the Ministry of Finance’s alleged failure to release funds for rent payments.

Appearing before Parliament’s Public Accounts Committee on Wednesday, he revealed that he has been diverting funds allocated for other judicial activities to settle rental arrears, a practice he deems unsustainable.

The 2024 Auditor General’s report highlighted that the Judiciary spent Shs790 million on rent arrears, despite these expenses not being included in its annual budget.

Mr. Bigirimana vowed to request landlords to close court buildings if the financial constraints continue.

“The alternative is to close offices and get the judges out. I’m not going to offend the law but I am going to close the offices. It’s not a threat, I’m going to tell the landlords to close the offices,” he said.

Such closures would have severe consequences, halting ongoing cases and denying citizens access to justice.

He cautioned that court closures could result in increased case backlogs, delayed trials, and overcrowded prisons.

The Judiciary is now awaiting the Ministry’s intervention to avert a crisis that could cripple the administration of justice in Uganda.

Written by Damali Mukhaye