Parliament questions ODPP over staffing, case management, prison congestion

The Office Directorate Public Prosecution (ODPP) appeared before Parliament’s Public Accounts Committee (PAC) to respond to queries arising from the Auditor General’s report for the financial year 2024/2025.
The ODPP delegation, led by the Director of Public Prosecutions and accompanied by top and senior management officials, appeared before the committee chaired by Patrick Nsamba Oshabe.
The DPP briefed lawmakers on the institution’s mandate and operations, with staffing shortages across the country highlighted as one of the major challenges affecting the delivery of prosecution services.
Permanent Secretary Agnes Kainza Nzogi told the committee that the Prosecution Case Management Information System (PROCAMIS) is being reviewed to improve its functionality and allow integration with systems used by other criminal justice agencies, including the Judiciary, Uganda Police Force and Uganda Prisons Service.
The planned integration is intended to improve information sharing and coordination across Uganda’s criminal justice chain.
The ODPP also told the committee that it had recruited about 137 new State Attorneys, who have been deployed to field stations across the country. The institution has additionally acquired 32 vehicles to support prosecutors in carrying out their duties.
Lawmakers raised wider concerns about the administration of justice, including missing persons, prison overcrowding and its relationship with delays in prosecution, as well as conditions in remand homes.
The DPP was asked to submit a detailed written response to the legal and criminal justice concerns, while the ODPP was directed to provide additional documents through the Clerk to the Committee to support its submissions on the audit queries.
The parliamentary engagement comes at a time when Uganda’s criminal justice institutions are under increasing pressure to process cases efficiently while addressing concerns over staffing, case management, detention and coordination between agencies.
The ODPP said it remains committed to accountability, transparency and prudent use of public resources, while working with other institutions to improve the administration and delivery of justice across the country