Principal judge launches trade dispute mediation targeting 520 cases
Abodo called for moving from conflict to conversation, from litigation to resolution, from disputes to solutions.
The Principal Judge, Jane Frances Abodo, speaking during the launch of the mediation fortnight targeting 520 trade, construction and corporation related disputes worth sh325b, on Monday, August 17, 2026. (Credit: Mpalanyi Ssentongo)
_______________ The Principal Judge, Jane Frances Abodo, speaking during the launch of the mediation fortnight targeting 520 trade, construction and corporation related disputes worth sh325b, on Monday, August 17, 2026. (Credit: Mpalanyi Ssentongo)
The Principal Judge, Jane Frances Abodo, has launched the mediation fortnight targeting 520 trade, construction and corporation-related disputes worth sh325b.
The initiative is aimed at unlocking the over shilling 400 billion tied up in the 1,250 trade, construction and corporate disputes tied up at the Commercial Division of the High Court in Kampala.
Launching the initiative on Monday, August 17, justice Abodo said the exercise will run until August 31.
“I want to commend the commercial court for this important initiative, which places alternative dispute resolution mechanisms, particularly mediation, at the heart of resolving disputes in trade, construction and corporate disputes,” Abodo said.
Abodo urged litigants to embrace the initiative, saying mediation preserves commercial relationships and allows parties to move on.
She also urged lawyers to encourage their clients to embrace the exercise, noting that prolonged litigation ties up resources, delays projects and damages relationships between the parties, which is key for businesses to thrive.
While lawyers were initially trained for litigation, Abodo said it is time for them to acknowledge that alternative dispute resolution mechanisms are not a lesser form of justice, but justice achieved in different and often more effective ways.
“To our judges and registrars, I want to encourage you to identify suitable matters early and actively promote settlement. We must identify matters and explain to the parties the benefits of mediation,” Abodo said.
Calling for a mindset change about mediation by the judicial officers, Abodo noted that a judicial officer with a negative mindset about mediation will never refer matters for amicable settlement.
Abodo said the judiciary is committed to the justice system that is accessible, efficient and people-centered.
“Let us move from conflict to conversation, from litigation to resolution, from disputes to solutions,” Abodo said.
Commercial court head judge Anna Bitature Mugenyi said they are ready for the exercise and are very optimistic that by the end of it, substantial capital will be unlocked.
“This initiative shows our commitment to swift resolution of commercial disputes after being in existence for 30 years,” Justice Mugenyi said.
Citing the statistics from the Uganda Revenue Authority for the previous financial year, which indicate that 35% of the sh31.6 trillion collected by the national tax body came from the trade sector, High Court judge Prof. Andrew Khauka, who is also the alternative dispute resolution focal judge in the judiciary, said mediation is the only way to unlock the money tied up in the commercial disputes.
Businessman Andrew Rugasira thanked the judiciary for the initiative, saying it is timely. “We are very grateful to the judiciary for this initiative. I call upon all traders to embrace this exercise with an open mind,” Rugasira said.
Faced with tens of thousands of pending cases, the judiciary has turned to court-annexed mediation and plea bargain as a major strategy to reduce court backlogs, clear prison congestion and offer faster, restorative justice outside traditional adversarial litigation.