Kampala, Uganda: The Judiciary has established eight Court of Appeal Circuits across the country in a major decentralisation reform aimed at bringing appellate justice closer to the people, reducing case backlog, cutting costs of litigation, and easing congestion at the Kampala-based Court of Appeal.
In a press statement issued on Saturday, the Judiciary said the reform is anchored in Legal Notice No. 21 of 2025 — The Constitution (Creation of the Court of Appeal Circuits) (Practice) Directions, 2025, issued on October 30, 2025, by former Chief Justice Alfonse Chigamoy Owiny-Dollo, pursuant to Article 133(1)(b) of the Constitution.
Under the new arrangement, the Court of Appeal will sit in Arua, Fort Portal, Gulu, Jinja, Masaka, Mbale, Mbarara and Mubende, allowing advocates and litigants to access appellate services closer to their regions and significantly reduce travel costs and delays previously associated with Kampala-based hearings.
The Judiciary said the reform is part of a broader strategy to strengthen access to justice, improve efficiency, shorten appeal timelines, and enhance public confidence in the justice system.
Operationalisation of the circuits will be phased, beginning with Gulu and Mbarara, upon completion of the construction of the respective courthouses.
As a transitional measure, all appeals and constitutional petitions currently pending before the Court of Appeal in Kampala, falling within the jurisdiction of the newly created circuits and not yet heard, will be transferred to the respective circuits once they become operational.
The Kampala Court of Appeal will continue to handle appeals arising from the Family, Land, Criminal, International Crimes, Civil, Commercial and Anti-Corruption Divisions of the High Court, as well as matters from the High Court circuits of Wakiso, Luwero and Entebbe.
According to the Judiciary, the regional coverage will be as follows: Arua Circuit will serve Arua, Moyo and Nebbi; Fort Portal Circuit will cover Fort Portal, Hoima, Kasese and Masindi; Gulu Circuit will serve Gulu, Apac, Dokolo, Kitgum, Lira and Patongo; while Jinja Circuit will cover Jinja, Bugiri, Iganga, Lugazi and Mukono.
Masaka Circuit will serve Masaka, Rakai and Mpigi; Mbale Circuit will cover Mbale, Pallisa, Tororo, Soroti, Kumi and Moroto; Mbarara Circuit will serve Mbarara, Bushenyi, Ibanda, Kabale, Rukungiri and Ntungamo; while Mubende Circuit will cover Mubende and Kiboga.
Each circuit will be composed of five Justices of Appeal, appointed by the Deputy Chief Justice, who, together with the Chief Justice, will also designate a Head and Deputy Head for each circuit.
The decentralisation comes against the backdrop of severe case backlog and staffing gaps within the Judiciary. The Second Judiciary National Court Case Census, unveiled three days ago by Chief Justice Flavian Zeija, revealed unresolved cases with a subject value of Shs14 trillion, equivalent to 7 per cent of Uganda’s GDP in 2024.
Of this amount, Shs10.73 trillion is tied up in cases before the High Court, while Shs3.36 trillion is locked in cases pending before the Court of Appeal and the Constitutional Court.
Currently, Uganda operates a single Court of Appeal seated in Kampala, forcing litigants to travel long distances “from border to border” to pursue appellate justice.
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