The outgoing Gulu High court resident judge, Justice John Eudes Keitirima, has attributed the growing incidents of crime in northern Uganda to former rebel LRA returnees.
Keitirima, who was recently transferred to Masaka, told The Observer in an interview that the after-effects of the war have taken a toll on some of the former rebels who have resorted to crime as a means of survival.
"Government needs to do more in terms of reintegrating these people to fit in society very well," said Keitirima, who served in Gulu for almost two years. He said hundreds of rebel returnees within the age bracket of 20 to 40 years are awaiting trial mainly on cases of defilement and murders over land disputes.
There are at least 506 committed cases awaiting trial at the Gulu High court. On average, Shs 1 million is spent on each criminal trial to facilitate state briefs, witnesses' transportation as well as allowances for the key participants in the case. This means that at least Shs 500 million is needed to clear the backlog.
In a transfer memo of March 13, 2015, the Principal Judge, Justice Yorokamu Bamwine, thanked Justice Keitirima for his "illustrious service" to the Gulu Circuit and wished him well at the new station, where he will be teaming up with Justice Margaret Oumo-Oguli in Masaka. Read more
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