Gulu, Uganda | THE INDEPENDENT | President Yoweri Museveni has praised retired Chief Justice Alfonse Chigamoy Owiny-Dollo for what he described as corruption-free management that helped change into Uganda’s judiciary.
Speaking all over Owiny-Dollo’s homecoming celebrations on Saturday at Kaunda Parade Ground, the president talked about that though he step by step receives experiences of corruption within the judiciary of Uganda, the vulnerable chief justice has never been linked to such allegations.
“At some point soon of the time I absorb labored with him, I will testify to a pair qualities: The main one is that I have not heard any memoir of non-public corruption interesting him within the judiciary. I generally get tales that there’s soundless corruption within the judiciary, but I have not heard his name associated with any of them,” Museveni talked about.
Museveni moreover credited Owiny-Dollo with helping to demobilise armed resistance by locals within the Acholi sub-place against the National Resistance Military after it took energy in 1986. The President extra talked about the retired Chief Justice remodeled the justice machine by championing Alternative Dispute Resolution (ADR), which permits communities to resolve disputes originate air the formal court docket direction of.
“I used to be talking about it (Alternative Dispute Resolution) the entire time, but no one within the judiciary used to be selecting it up till his Lordship Owiny-Dollo came and embraced it,” Museveni talked about. The homecoming occasion used to be organised beneath the Rocco Paco initiative, a programme aimed at reviving the social and financial fabric of the Acholi sub-place.
The initiative, launched in 2024, is being championed by Justice Owiny-Dollo and Olara Otunnu. Museveni welcomed the initiative and pledged authorities enhance, saying it aligns with the agenda of the ruling National Resistance Trip to promote family wealth introduction.
“I thank the of us of Acholi for giving us an even younger particular individual that has made a accurate contribution. Rocco Paco is a truly simply idea; it is miles exactly what the NRM has been talking about for years, wealth introduction for every family,” he talked about.
The President moreover told leaders and residents within the Acholi sub-place to undertake high-cost plant life, arguing that plant life much like cotton, sugarcane and tobacco require true pieces of land but step by step generate lower returns.
Earlier, in his keynote tackle, Justice Owiny-Dollo known as on the authorities to enhance the Rocco Paco initiative, saying collaboration between the utter and team leaders could well be key to reworking the place.
“We will gain a device to achieve our segment by sensitizing our of us and offering management advice, but we can only attain so much. If the authorities of Uganda joins fingers with us, we can every play our aim for the top probably thing about our of us,” Owiny-Dollo talked about.
He expressed optimism that with corpulent authorities enhance, the Acholi sub-place—currently ranked amongst the poorest within the nation—could well endure principal transformation within five to 10 years. Owiny-Dollo moreover known as for presidency enhance for agricultural mechanisation by a family manufacturing model.
“We will gain a device to mechanise this land about 28,000 Sq Km by concentrated on households and family land. When of us make investments of their very bask in land, the earnings goes at once into their pockets. Some land can moreover be allotted to traders beneath agreed modalities,” he talked about.
He impressed residents to transition to high-cost plant life much like coffee and cocoa, noting that the shift would require team sensitisation, farmer practicing and supportive bylaws from native governments.
“I name on the central authorities, the native authorities and district management both incumbent and incoming that if we desire right transformation here, we must advance up with bylaws compelling our of us to develop principal plant life,” Owiny-Dollo talked about.
Loads of leaders who spoke on the match paid tribute to the Chief Justice Emeritus, describing him as a nationalist who played a key aim in reworking the judiciary.
Jane Frances Abodo, the predominant capture, talked about Owiny-Dollo’s profession has been outlined by courage, integrity and a deep dedication to public carrier. She credited his management with strengthening reconciliation and restorative justice approaches which absorb helped bridge the gap between the formal compatible machine and standard battle-decision mechanisms.
“Below your management, the judiciary accomplished a assortment of milestones, alongside with bringing courts nearer to the of us and making sure that justice turned more accessible to communities that had prolonged been underserved,” she talked about.
In the meantime, Richard Todwong, the secretary standard of the National Resistance Trip, talked about Owiny-Dollo’s profession offers a truly important lesson for leaders serving in authorities.
“For us who’re soundless working in authorities, it is miles moreover a lesson that in no topic we attain and within the positions we preserve, now we absorb to lend a hand with dignity and admire, and be proper and good so that we attain now not embarrass authorities and we moreover attain now not embarrass our tribe,” Todwong talked about.
Justice Owiny-Dollo retired on January 18 after reaching the a truly indispensable retirement age of 70 years. He served for five years as Chief Justice following his appointment in August 2020 by President Museveni.
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