In reference to the Presidential directives on the prevention and management of COVID-19, the ODPP has today issued the following administrative measures to all staff in departments, divisions and all regional offices:

1) Serious cases and those that pose a threat to public order and harmony to be registered in court for plea taking

2) Bail applications to be handled whenever the courts are sitting

3) Staff at the courts with video link to continue to operate of court decides to proceed

4) Regional ODPP officers to review committed files and prepare committal papers

5) Complainants allowed to only file written complaints at the registries and will follow up either on phone or after a period of 32 days

6) Registry staff to display phone numbers of the complaint desk officers as well as heads of stations

7) Scheduled national and international conferences and workshops postponed until further notice

8) No approval of foreign travels and those already approved rescinded until further notice

9) Sanitizers and other preventive measures put in place at ODPP service points in accordance to MOH COVID-19 protocols and guidelines

Prosecutors directed to advise Police as follows:

1) Process suspects for court in capital cases, serious or other offenses that are likely to disrupt social harmony and public order

2) Immediately produce suspects in court for plea and in any case not later than 48 hours

3) Process suspects in minor cases within 48 hours

DOWNLOAD ODPP ADMINISTRATIVE MEASURES (PDF)

Published: March 20, 2020

KAMPALA. For lack of a proper legal framework to protect witnesses/victims of crime, the office of the Director of Public Prosecutions (DPP), has launched guidelines for prosecutors to use as a temporary measure if they are to effectively combat crime in the country. The guidelines are meant to assist prosecutors to determine the witness protection perimeters and the scope of protection in absence of the legislation. 

“At the moment, as most of us know, there is no legislation in Uganda to provide for protection of witnesses. Indeed it’s a bit awkward that we are launching manuals for victims’ rights and witness protection in absence of an enabling law,” said DPP Mike Chibita during the launch last Friday. He continued: “The alternative should have been us to sit and fold our hands and wait but we had to do what we could with the resources that we have. So even if the enabling legislation is not there, we still with the help of our friends, came up with these guidelines.” 

Justice Chibita lamented of how it has been hard to prosecute criminal cases in absence of an enabling law that protects witnesses. 

He gave an example of how they had to hire a car to be on standby and wait for a witness at the gate to whisk him/her away to the airport and take refuge in another country for fear of being harmed after testifying in a terrorism case he declined to name.

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Published: June 11, 2019

The Director of Public Prosecutions (DPP), Mr Mike Chibita, has assured the country that by next Joan Kagezi memorial lecture, her suspected killers will have been arrested.

Justice Chibita said the State is in advanced stages of evidence gathering but added that he would not make further revelations. This was during the 4th Annual Joan Kagezi memorial lecture at Hotel Africana in Kampala held under the theme 'Courts not guns - Combating terrorism through the Law'.

“This year, I am more optimistic than before and I am happy to report that by the time we have the next Joan Kagezi memorial lecture, we will have apprehended the culprits and charged them before courts of law,” Justice Chibita assured the country during the fourth Joan Magezi memorial lecture in Kampala.

Kagezi, the then senior state prosecutor, was shot dead on March 30, 2015 in Najjera, a Kampala suburb by assailants on boda boda. 

Published: April 18, 2019

Uganda's DPP Justice Mike Chibita has today welcomed DPPs, Prosecutors General and Directors of Investigation authorities from the Great Lakes Region, experts from the UN and Civil society organisations to the 3rd meeting of the Judicial Cooperation Network of the Great Lakes hosted at Speke Resort Munyonyo. Also in attendance are prosecutors and focal points of the Network appointed by the Governments of Angola, Burundi, CAR, DRC, Congo, Kenya, Sudan, Tanzania, Zambia and Uganda. The meeting will focus on enhancing cooperation between the States in addressing illicit trafficking in wildlife and natural resources. 

Justice Chibita observed that the Network is unique as it brings together practitioners from States that speak different languages, have different legal systems but yet are very similar because of the abundance of wildlife and its diversity. He emphasised the need for cooperation by law enforcement agencies and prosecutors in order to bring the perpetrators of wildlife crimes to book and to ensure the seizure and recovery of  the assets illicitly gained. 

Ms Rose Mlango of the UN reiterated their commitment to support solution oriented discussions to be ensure peace and stability in the region.

The network was created to enhance cross border investigations and successful prosecution of trans national organised crimes including terrorism.

The meeting is organised by the ICGLR in conjunction with the UNODC and the Office of the UN Special Envoy of the Secretary General for the Great lakes region, with the support of the Government of Norway.

Published: November 12, 2018