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Bugiri, Uganda | THE INDEPENDENT | The Deputy Chief Justice Richard Buteera, has affirmed the judiciary’s commitment towards the operationalization of a remand home in Bugiri district, so as to quicken justice for both juvenile offenders and victims alike.
His remarks came following a complaint raised by the Bugiri district LCV chairperson Kassajja Mulondo, who during Monday’s Bugiri Magistrates Court open day insisted that the district allocated five acres of land towards the establishment of a remand home about 10 years ago, however its operationalization has delayed over unclear reasons.
“We saw the need of having a remand home within Bugiri district, following endless cases of criminality amongst the juveniles, the then leadership constructed some structures with hopes of being boosted by the judiciary, however, not much has been done in that regard,” he lamented.
Kassajja further noted that the nearest children’s remand home is located in Mbale district, however, with the absence of standing budgets to transport the juvenile offenders, most of them have been unable to access the recommended rehabilitation.
Ibrahim Muganza, the Bugiri municipality probation officer also says that some of the juveniles have become perennial offenders since there are no standard means of rehabilitating them to shun criminality.
Muganza further stresses that there have been attempts of conducting social inquiry reports, where community leaders and parents alike are availed with the findings concerning the different crimes committed by their children, with hopes of transformation, however some of these children require special rehabilitation, only offered in remand homes.
In his response, Buteera stressed that much as Bugiri district local government donated land and constructed a dormitory to foster quick rehabilitation of juvenile offenders, officials from the gender affairs ministry inspected the premises and ruled that the structures were substandard.
Buteera reveals that the judiciary has already finalized discussions with the local leadership concerning the burden of handling juvenile criminal elements and efforts of liaising with the labor affairs ministry are underway, in a bid to ease the operationalization of a remand home within the area.
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