COURT USERS’ OPEN DAY ORGANIZED AT KASESE MAGISTRATE COURT

Principal Judge, His Lordship Yorokam Bamwine(in front of Police) freely interacting wih others

UNICEF and Justice for Children today July 28 2016 have brought Ugandan Courts at different levels and other judicial institutions closer to a local person in Kasese District to give accountability of their work to the citizens.

Court Users facing court and judicial institutions, out of their offices

The Uganda principal Judge, His lordship Yorokam Bamwine was the chief guest and among other participants and guests were;

• Religious leaders under the umbrella of inter-religious council (IRC) of Uganda represented by South Rwenzori Anglican Bishop, Kasese quadhi and IRC Chairperson in Kasese.
• Kasese District Local government political and civic leaders that included; LCV C/Person, Chief administrative officer, Sub county chairpersons, Probation and welfare officer, Community Development officers from different sub counties and sub county chiefs
• Kasese Magistrate court staff, Fort portal high court staff represented by Resident judge.
• Resident state attorney
• Regional police commander (Rwenzori East Division), District Police Commanders; Kasese, Bwera and Hiima.
• Uganda Peoples Defense forces
• Uganda Prisons-Kasese District.
• Advocates, Court bailiffs, Paralegal service, legal aid project.
• Other Civil society organizations that among others included; Rwenzori consortium for civic competence(RWECO) partner organizations represented by Good Hope Foundation for Rural Development(GHFRD), and  Reach the Youth, Caritas Kasese, RAC and ACODEV.
• And the entire public (court users) that included women, men, elderly, PWDs and children from different corners of Kasese District. Over one thousand (1000) people attended and participated in the event.

Kasese District Deputy RDC at a stall

The day involved speeches from different guests and stall inspection by the chief guest where a lot of information about how different legal procedures in the District are conducted, were shared. Questions were being raised and answered immediately. Among other information shared at stalls included; Application for letters of administration, writing a Will, Land transactions and matrimony property, court of judicature-small claim procedure(case flow), juvenile case handling, mediation, case filing, traffic laws, and prison life.

The event was entirely about hearing from community members about administration of Justice in Kasese District.

Local court users at the stalls, where they asked several questions.

KEY ISSUES RAISED BY COMMUNITY PEOPLE (Court Users) AND THEIR LEADERS

• Most people arrested after elections are not being given justice,
• Kasese needs more magistrates to timely serve the big population of between 800,000 to 1,000,000 people. The District only has four Magistrates,
• People are still being kept at police stations for more than 48 hours, contrary to the law,
• Corruption in judiciary is still being witnessed,
• Law breakage by police in the District is increasing, witnessed by killings by gun shooting of innocent citizens,
• Irregularities in handling land cases in Kasese are causing insecurity, Conflicts and human rights violations,
• Execution of court judgments is still a problem in Kasese especially concerning land cases like Rwehingo land, Nkoko in kitswamba,
• Resident District Commissioner’s(RDC) office peddling in court’s work especially failing execution of judgments concerning land,
• Some local council one chairperson also aid land grabbing,
• Principle of confidentiality is not adhered to by most police officers especially in executing juvenile cases and cases that involve PLHA.

Principal judge and Kasese Grade 1 Magistrate, asking questions at a stall

KEY RESPONSES BY PRINCIPAL JUDGE

• People’s happiness is Judiciary responsibility. According to Article 126 of Uganda’s constitution, judicial power shall be derived from the people.
• Case backlog is still a big challenge in Uganda. ”The recently conducted case file census revealed that close to 1000 cases have been in court for over 10 years, un settled” principal judge was quoted. This undermines the right to be heard.
• Some lawyers intentionally delay cases by ill advising their clients so that they may continue earning money from them. People were advised to utilize an opportunity of free legal services like Uganda Christian lawyers’ fraternity.
• Court bail is free. If a fee is decided on to be paid, it should be receipted and claimed back after the case.
• The principal Judge announced to the public that he has agreed with the Chief Magistrate of Kasese to clear all pending cases in a shortest period and that he will always make follow-ups on the same.
• Case files do not get lost but intentionally miss-placed by court clerks after bribery. He promised to pin clerks on similar cases.
• To protect children, the Judge announced that with effect from June 2^nd 2016, guardianship orders have been abolished. Incase of guardianship, laws must be strictly followed. This is intended to curb child trafficking.
• In case of any court judgment, a person has a right to go to trial court to execute a judgment in case he is blocked from accessing his/her property.
• Local council one chairpersons have no judicial powers but have administrative powers, they can only do mediation and refer for judgment to court. For this reason, they are paid their annual administrative allowances.
• All court rulings are superior than RDCs’ authority to review .RDCs can only execute a court ruling, but not revoking it. All interferences by RDCs into land issues already made judgment on by courts of law are illegal.

Principal Judge at Trafiic police stall

All in all, the public appreciated the interface meeting with court and other judicial institutions staff and a lot was learnt that has opened people’s minds in as far as human rights violations prevention and conflicts management is concerned. All the Judicial and other Court speakers especially the Chief Guest encourage and emphasized mediation as a sustainable means of case handling, conflict prevention and management.

He promised to cause an urgent training for religious leaders from Kasese District in Mediation since they willingly receive many clients. And  encouraged Court and other judicial institutions to work with local CSOs since they are always with, and too close to the local person.

Local Court user raising partinent local issue about legal procedures in the District

LEADERS CONSENT TO CHAMPION A NO; CONFLICTS AND HUMAN RIGHTS VIOLATIONS CAMPAIGN.

“For the years civil society organizations have operated in Munkunyu sub county, this day will remain memorable to us in as far as community engagement in projects implementation is concerned” Narrated by Local council three chairperson of Munkunyu Sub county Mr. Bwambale Josephat.

Chairperson LCIII strongly emphasizing on guaranteed project support by local leaders

July 19^th 2016 is a memorable day referred to by the chairperson when Good Hope Foundation for Rural Development organized a minds sparking sub county sensitization meeting of all Local council one chairpersons, sub county political and technical team, District Councilors, some elders, religious leaders, women, PWDs and youths representatives, totaling to ninety one ( 68 Males and 23 Females) leaders, about peace building, conflict management and human rights, at the sub county headquarters with an activity purpose of creating a platform for massive awareness to local community members about Peaceful co-existence, conflict management and Human rights in the Sub County. It will remain memorable indeed because, for the first time leaders were brought together to digest the content of the project before the other community members could fully be engaged during the implementation. This is an assurance for project sustainability, according to the several leaders who attended. Major topics of discussion included; project introduction to all participants, legal knowledge in conflicts management and Human rights violations interventions as well as negotiation, and finally mainstreaming environment in peace and Human Rights promotion.

Participants in a group photo after a full day of sensitization

European Union through HIVOS is supporting Good Hope Foundation under the RWECO sorority to implement a project on community action to prevent and manage conflicts and Human rights violations in Rwenzori region, where Good Hope is concentrating on five sub counties of Kasese; Munkunyu, Katwe kabatoro Town council, Lake Katwe, Karusandara and Kitswamba, where as other RWECO Members operate in Ntoroko, Bundibugyo and Kamwenge.

Jimmy Odyek, coordinator RWECO making an analysis of a local conflict

Lead Facilitator, counsel Bwalhuma Isaac presenting a minds tickling topic on conflicts and Human Rights

The following key issues were raised by Participants;-

Isaac Sinamakosa engaging participants to bring out salient issues

• Land conflicts in most communities emanate from un clear ownership where most lands are not registered. This has promoted land grabbing.
• A right to speak a language of one’s choice is violated in some communities where other people feel shy to even speak their languages in public.
• Most local council one chairpersons are ignorant of their jurisdictions in as far as legal issues are concerned, for example making judgments for land cases.
• Land agreements in most villages are written half hazardely creating many lacunars for any potential legal challenge.
• Delays in courts rulings are also contributing to community conflicts.
• Conflicts in Kasese District are being incited by some elders who miss-guide the youths on political grounds.
• The split of Kasese District into others is a potential conflict trigger.
• Un clear laws about cultural institutions are being used by some extremists to cause chaos in the communities.
• People with Disabilities’ issues are not seriously taken by local leaders. At the sub county headquarters for example, leaders were just reminded in the meeting to put ramps for PWDs.
• Level of innovativeness among local people is still very low to an extent of producing for subsistence in the Agricultural sector, instead of commercial. This has made poverty a common phenomenon among the communities.
• Culture is still exposing women to marginalization. It is for example still culturally common that a woman can not manage a family land, or not given a priority when it comes to education compared to a man.
• Very few people in Munkunyu, if not the whole District continue with education up to a level of at least a masters degree.
• Kanyampara water channel is another resource that has caused conflicts among local residents especially cultivators and cattle keepers.

Key Action points;-

Participants critically making use of their sight and hearing senses

•  RWECO/ and Good Hope Foundation to provide print outs of land act to all local council one chairpersons.
• All participants to cause manageable community meetings where Foot peace ambassadors will always attend and participate about peaceful co-existence.
• Lead facilitator to summarize a presentation about conflicts and Human Rights, then supply hand outs to key sub county stakeholders.
• Massive sensitization about peaceful co-existence through different forums like funeral and wedding ceremonies, churches, mosques and VSLAs meetings by participants
• Political leaders to carefully communicate the status of District split to their voters, to avoid triggering a conflict.
• To build ramps at all sub county office entries by end of next quarter. 

BEGIN AT HOME AND EXPAND

GOOD HOPE FOUNDATION SUPPORTS SCHOOL PARENTS MEETINGS

Good hope foundation supported the PTA and School management committees in the three primary schools of Kiburara, Karusandara SDA and Kenyange muslim primary school to organize parents meetings. Three parents meetings were organized in the two sub counties of operation where over 300 (173 females and 127 males) parents attended the meetings. The main agenda was to discuss the challenges children go through while at school as well as discussing the development plans for the schools. Among the main challenges presented to the parents included; the high rates of school dropout, decrease in school enrolment especially in Kenyange Muslim, failure of pupils to have lunch at school which affects the afternoon classes as well as pupils performances, poor health facilities of girls such as girl’s wash rooms, changing rooms, sanitary pads that has also affected girls education, late reporting of children during the term beginning, natural disaster especially the strong wind that destroyed kenyange muslim primary school, lack of cooperation and involvement of parents in school affairs especially by not attending school meetings, late coming and escape of both teachers and pupils especially in Kenyange Muslim primary school,  poor performance of children and also the culture of parents not to register their children with the head teacher especially in Karusandara SDA and Kenyange Muslim.

Members attributed most of these challenges to parents and teachers who have failed to fulfill their responsibilities as well as the weak school administration committees that fail to implement the parents resolutions, the poor motivation of staff that sometimes bring about late coming and absenteeism of teachers.

In relation to the above, parents where sensitized on violence against children especially how children are violated and how violence affects children basing on the RWECO baseline survey report 2015 on prevention of violence against children and adolescents in Kasese district. Parents were advised not to rely on UPE money since it’s usually little money to facilitate the school programs.

As way forward;

Parents of Kenaynge muslim resolved to create a boarding section for P.7 class beginning third term so as to improve the performance of pupils

Parents also committed themselves to start registering their children and also follow them up at school

Parents from the three schools committed themselves to start and strengthen the lunch initiative for pupils through contributing in kind food staffs. For Kiburara primary school it was resolved by parents that each parents who have a child in P.6 and P.7 should contribute 5kg of maize floor and 2 kg beans as well as 5200 shillings for spices.

On the issue of poor health facilities of girls, parents of Kiburara primary school resolved on constructing a wash room for the girls starting this month of July with a contribution from Good Hope Foundation. Members agreed on each parents to contribute either in cash or in-kind 6000 shillings. From the meeting, two members had committed themselves to bring 300 bricks, one to bring 3 wheel barrows of aggregate and in cash 3 members paid 18000 shillings. Therefore members suggested the construction to start immediately using the already available funds and materials as they wait for other members to bring in their contributions.

Additionally on the issue of sanitary pads for children, parents suggested and agreed to join and participate in the training of pupils in local re-usable sanitary pads that members suggested to Good Hope Foundation hold it as soon as possible in order to improve the health conditions of children.

About the weak management of school administration a challenge that was lighted in Kenyange Muslim primary school, all members agreed to conduct an election in the same meeting. Therefore members had to hold election and a new PTA was established on that very day.

Parents from Karusandara also resolved on contributing 10,000 each towards the construction and renovation of the structure that was destroyed by the strong winds. 

School club presenting drama to the parents during the general meeting

One of the parents making a contribution during the parents meeting

Parents paying attention to different presentations and contributions from fellow parents of the school.

NYABAGHOLE DEVELOPMENT FOUNDATION AND GOOD HOPE FOUNDATION ENGAGE YOUTH TO PREVENT VIOLENCE AGAINST CHILDREN

Buhuhira sub county has come to be known as a sub county associated with different kinds of violence ranging from parental, family more especially associated with early marriages , community inform of mob justice  and political violence however as these conflicts occur its children that are more affected. The youth are a very important factor in preventing violence as they stand the chance of being used as elements for violence, hooliganism and conflict-making. They should be empowered and motivated to be change agents in our environment. They have the strength, mental alertness, speed, ideas and information necessary to create positive change.

Good hope foundation organized a youth camp in buhuhira Sub County in Minana village specifically to engage the youth in the prevention of violence against children and adolescents. The camp focused on dialoging on the mechanisms of preventing violence against children in Buhihira sub county by empowering the youth to become change agents in preventing violence against children and adolescents. Over 1000 people attended the event and among those who attended included the prime minister for Obusinga Bwa Rwenzururu who was the chief guest, the sub county leadership that is the C/P LC 111, CDO, district councilor, parish councilors, CFPU, religious leaders, local leaders, members from the OBR and those from the Nyabaghole foundation for development as well as the general community members. Several events were organized during the function including radio talk shows, football and netball for peace as well as traditional drama performances. According to the CDO Buhuhira sub county Mr. Wilson Lhuwabo he said to the prime Minister OBR that the most challenges affecting the sub county includes the early marriages that has led to increase in young mothers, school dropout, child labor as well as alcoholism especially among men. He talked of Kithoma market which is always there on Wednesday which he said its making many children not to go schools as some follow their parents to the market and others to do pity businesses. He informed the public that OBR rests on children’s education which members should embrace for the development of the community. He therefore called upon the community that everyone should do his responsibilities towards the prevention of violence against children in order to boost education in the sub county.

Through the local artist also passed messages condemning early marriages, defilement and also emphasizing on educating children in order to prepare families for good future. In his songs he also emphasized the community members on women’s evolvement in economic development which enhances family income.

The community was then educated on children’s rights mainly through training them on children’s Act stipulating the roles and responsibilities each stakeholders, the employment Act that condemns child labor and also the domestic violence Act which the public was ignorant of.

According to the chair man LC111 while commenting on the recent violence in the sub county during the election period, he attributed them to domestic violence which he said it has left 46 children as orphans after their parents being arrested because of the violence. He therefore said in any violence, its children and women who are highly affected.

The coordinator Nyabaghole Foundation for development, he commented on hygiene and sanitation in families where he called upon the families to support their children during their health challenges as it affects their education.

According to the Prime Minister OBR he said as an institution they highly condemn all acts of violence against children in the district and he therefore called all institutions including the religious, cultural, government and NGO to work hand in hand in promoting children’s rights.

In his communication he said for any community challenges, youths should be at the center of addressing them as he said many youths have always been used by the political and other selfish people in order to achieve their selfish motives. He thanked Good Hope Foundation for organizing such event that brings the youth together in addressing violence against children.

• As away forward, the prime minister committed himself to ensure that the institution commits on enhancing children’s education through addressing all challenges that effects children’s education.
• He also said as an institution, basing on the high rates of violence in Buhuhira Sub County, the king will be organizing a visit to the sub county on 13^th /July 2016 to talk to the community members on the prevention of violence.
• The sub county leadership also committed themselves on developing by-laws to address violence against children in the sub county.
• The youths also promised to engage themselves in the prevention of violence against children and other violence especially through sports and drama.

 

Honourable prime minister of OBR giving his speech about violence against children and peace for the whole community

The community being sensitized about the Children Act,Domestic violence Act and the Employment Act in order to prevent violence against children

 Honourable prime minister of OBR inspecting the girls teams  that played net ball for peace during the youth camp

Local artist performing during the youth camp at Minana P/school

Football for peace being played during the youth camp in Buhuhira S/County

ED Good Hope Foundation giving an overview  of the project and the activity during the youth camp in Buhuhira S/county

Preaching Prevention of  violence against children using traditional drama