Court suspends sessions
Aug 25, 2005
RUNNING on a shoestring budget with new undeployed judges lacking transport and salaries, the judiciary has suspended all major court sessions, pending talks with the finance ministry.
By Cyprian Musoke
RUNNING on a shoestring budget with new undeployed judges lacking transport and salaries, the judiciary has suspended all major court sessions, pending talks with the finance ministry.
Appearing before the legal and parliamentary affairs committee yesterday, secretary to the judiciary J.A. Ocaya Lakidi said she had advised the judges to ‘go home and rest’, as there was no money to facilitate their sittings.
“I told the Chief Justice that there is no point operating the courts at all. We have decided to cut on all court activities. I want the ministry (finance) to give me sh9b, otherwise, the courts are not operating anymore,†she said.
Ocaya said a recent directive to pay allowances of sh35,000 to all staff left a sh110m gap.
“When you pay sh110m out of a total budget of sh600m, you remain with sh500m, from from which we pay sh100m in rent, pay salaries and allowances for guards and judges, leaving us with no money for sessions,†she said.
Ocaya said new judges appointed last year had neither salaries nor vehicles to travel to court.
“We have a fleet of 50 vehicles, which cost sh40m to repair monthly. If a judge’s vehicle breaks down when there is no money, we advise them to hire some other means or stay at home,†she said.
She said she once gave a lift to a judge whose vehicle had broken down.
RUNNING on a shoestring budget with new undeployed judges lacking transport and salaries, the judiciary has suspended all major court sessions, pending talks with the finance ministry.
Appearing before the legal and parliamentary affairs committee yesterday, secretary to the judiciary J.A. Ocaya Lakidi said she had advised the judges to ‘go home and rest’, as there was no money to facilitate their sittings.
“I told the Chief Justice that there is no point operating the courts at all. We have decided to cut on all court activities. I want the ministry (finance) to give me sh9b, otherwise, the courts are not operating anymore,†she said.
Ocaya said a recent directive to pay allowances of sh35,000 to all staff left a sh110m gap.
“When you pay sh110m out of a total budget of sh600m, you remain with sh500m, from from which we pay sh100m in rent, pay salaries and allowances for guards and judges, leaving us with no money for sessions,†she said.
Ocaya said new judges appointed last year had neither salaries nor vehicles to travel to court.
“We have a fleet of 50 vehicles, which cost sh40m to repair monthly. If a judge’s vehicle breaks down when there is no money, we advise them to hire some other means or stay at home,†she said.
She said she once gave a lift to a judge whose vehicle had broken down.