A total of 49 prisoners, including 48 males and one female, all from Kanungu District, are set to appear before the court.
In a landmark event, the Principal Judge, His Lordship Justice Flavian Zeija, inaugurated the first-ever criminal court session in Kanungu District. The session is being presided over by His Lordship Justice Chemtai, the Resident Judge.
The launch was attended by several dignitaries, including the LC V Chairperson, the Resident District Commissioner (RDC), the District Internal Security Officer (DISO), the District Police Commander (DPC), personnel from the Prisons Service, the Director of Public Prosecutions (DPP), the Chief Magistrate of Rukungiri, and all magistrates from the Rukungiri High Court.
According to Elly Maate, the Kigezi Region Police Spokesperson, the criminal cases scheduled for hearing include Aggravated Robbery, Aggravated Defilement, Aggravated Trafficking in Persons, Murder, Rape, and Manslaughter.
During his address on Wednesday, Justice Zeija, after discussions with local leaders, recommended that such sessions be held at least twice a year to restore public trust in the justice system. He emphasized that these sessions would benefit the community by reducing expenses and the distance to court, especially for cases originating from remote areas of the district.
Maate noted that the community has welcomed the judiciary’s efforts to bring services closer to them and pledged to actively participate by testifying to ensure that offenders are duly punished.
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