Land disputes involving Church of Uganda dioceses, Tororo Girls School and local governments feature prominently among 31 civil appeals before the Court of Appeal in Mbale, amid a national backlog of 14,127 cases.
The Court of Appeal is concluding a two-day civil appeals session in Mbale, with disputes involving church property, public institutions and private landowners featuring prominently among the cases listed for hearing.
The session, which ends today, is bringing appellate services closer to litigants in eastern Uganda, allowing them to pursue their cases without having to travel to Kampala.
The court has listed 31 civil appeals for the session, with land disputes forming a significant proportion of the caseload. Cases involving the Church of Uganda’s Bukedi, Mbale and Tororo dioceses, Tororo Girls School and Tororo District Local Government Council are among those before the court.
The Civil Panel is headed by Justice Christopher Gashirabake, assisted by Justices Margret Tibulya and Cornelia K. Sabiiti.
An analysis of the cause list shows that land disputes account for a substantial share of the cases scheduled for consideration, alongside matters involving contracts, trespass, damages, estates and employment.
The institutional disputes include six cases involving church or public institutional property among the 20 land-related matters identified on the cause list, representing 30 per cent of the land disputes.
On the first day, the court listed a dispute involving Mark Opowo and 10 others against the Registered Trustees of the Church of Uganda, Bukedi Diocese.
Other land-related appeals included Ochwo Apollo Ayeka against Onyango Sam, Siraji Mwesi and two others against Erizefani Leemu, and Mango David against Namukuta Beatrice.
The court also listed a trespass dispute involving Omolo Mixed Farm Limited and Dr Kasoro Andrew, a negligence claim against Divine Mercy Hospital in Tororo, and an unlawful dismissal case involving Bududa District Local Government.
Another matter concerned a breach-of-contract dispute between Industrial Division Local Government Council and Wakhata Charles and five others.
The second day’s cause list brings further institutional land disputes before the appellate court.
These include John Okwitwi and seven others against the Board of Governors of Tororo Girls School, and Tororo District Local Government Council against Mulowooza Kayondo and another.
The court is also scheduled to hear a dispute between Murukuru Patrick and another and the Registered Trustees of the Church of Uganda, Mbale Diocese.
Other cases involve Osuna Otwani against the Registered Trustees of Tororo Diocese, and Gazonja Andrew against the same institution. A related application seeking a temporary injunction is also on the cause list in the latter matter.
Beyond institutional disputes, the appeals cover disagreements between private parties over land ownership and possession, as well as contractual obligations, alleged trespass, damages, estate administration and employment decisions.
The cause list does not provide details of the properties in dispute, the financial value of the claims or the merits of the parties’ respective arguments. The listing of the cases therefore does not establish wrongdoing by any of the parties.
The Mbale session comes as the Judiciary continues to grapple with a national backlog of 14,127 pending cases, with senior judicial officials calling for greater coordination, funding and staffing to accelerate the resolution of disputes.
Deputy Chief Justice Moses Kazibwe Kawumi has urged institutions across the justice system to work together to address delays, noting that clearing cases requires cooperation among courts, investigators, prosecutors, lawyers and other agencies within the Justice, Law and Order Sector.
He has also called for increased funding and staffing across the Judiciary and other justice-sector institutions to improve efficiency and reduce the backlog.
Bringing appellate hearings closer to litigants is one way the Judiciary can improve access to justice, particularly for people who would otherwise incur travel and accommodation costs to pursue appeals in Kampala.
The Mbale session concludes today, with the listed cases illustrating the range of civil disputes reaching the Court of Appeal and the continuing demand for timely resolution of land and institutional property conflicts.