Uganda’s Judiciary is grappling with a backlog of 42,588 cases, as the rapid growth of financial and cyber fraud continues to outpace investigations, prosecution and court processes.
Deputy Chief Justice Moses Kazibwe Kawumi said the mismatch between the speed at which financial crimes are committed and the time taken to bring offenders to justice requires closer coordination among institutions across the justice chain.
“The transaction may occur in seconds, the investigation may take months, and the litigation may take years. This mismatch between the speed of the crime and the speed of the justice response is one of the issues that institutions represented here must confront together,” Kazibwe said.
He was representing Chief Justice Flavian Zeija at the fourth Financial Sector Anti-Fraud Forum 2026, held on Wednesday at Kampala Marriott Hotel in Nsambya, Kampala.
The forum was convened by the Uganda Bankers’ Association (UBA), Payment Systems Providers Association (PSPA) and Anti-Fraud Consortium (AFC) under the theme: “Safeguarding the Citizen: Beyond Infrastructure, Into Enforcement.”
Kazibwe said Judiciary statistics illustrate the scale of the challenge.
During the last reporting year, the Judiciary completed 239,431 cases out of a total caseload of 401,269, leaving 161,838 cases pending, of which 42,588 were classified as backlog.
Drawing on his experience presiding over the High Court circuits in Kabale, Masaka and Mubende, the Deputy Chief Justice said financial fraud requires a coordinated response rather than isolated action by individual institutions.
“Fraud, to me, is an industry. Very fast-growing, with the modus operandi changing every time. So as a single bank, as a single organisation, you can’t fight fraud alone,” he said.
He said delays in the justice chain cannot be blamed on one institution, noting that bottlenecks can occur at different stages, including investigations, evidence gathering, prosecution, case preparation, judicial case management and enforcement of court orders.
Kazibwe called for regular technical engagements involving judges, prosecutors, investigators, financial intelligence experts, regulators, banks, payment service providers and telecommunications specialists.
Digital fraud puts new demands on courts
The Deputy Chief Justice said the growing use of digital financial services requires judicial officers, prosecutors and investigators to acquire deeper knowledge of the technologies used in modern financial transactions.
He pointed to the Judicial Training Institute (JTI) as a key institution in strengthening capacity, proposing specialised training in financial crime, cyber fraud, digital evidence, electronic payments, cryptocurrency and financial technology.
“We need to learn to serve you better…You may have the money. Let’s partner to train. Approach us, teach us, and collaborate to serve you better,” he said.
Kazibwe also warned that evidence in financial and cybercrime cases is increasingly digital, dispersed and vulnerable to alteration or loss.
He said investigators and prosecutors must strengthen their ability to preserve and present transaction trails and audit logs, authenticate electronic records, maintain chains of custody and handle evidence involving multiple platforms and jurisdictions.
Recovery of stolen funds
Kazibwe said an effective anti-fraud system should not focus solely on arrests and convictions, but also on recovering stolen money, compensating victims and closing weaknesses that allow fraud to recur.
“The success of an anti-fraud system should not be measured only by arrests and convictions, but also by the recovery of victims, tracing of unlawful gains, correction of systemic weaknesses and prevention of future vulnerabilities,” he said.
He also called for adequate compensation for victims and consideration of stronger custodial sentences for offenders, citing the wider impact of cybercrime on innocent depositors.
Judiciary pushes digital reforms
Justice Kazibwe said the Judiciary is implementing reforms under its Sixth Judiciary Strategic Plan for 2025/26–2029/30, with emphasis on access to justice, case management, institutional effectiveness and digital transformation.
Among the measures are the expansion of Alternative Dispute Resolution (ADR), mediation, plea bargaining and the Small Claims Procedure.
The Judiciary is also rolling out the Electronic Court Case Management Information System (ECCMIS), while the Judicial Training Institute is strengthening technical capacity in areas including digital evidence and financial crime.
The reforms, Justice Kazibwe said, are intended to improve the speed and efficiency of justice as Uganda’s financial sector increasingly shifts towards digital transactions.
The anti-fraud forum brought together stakeholders from the financial, technology, regulatory and justice sectors to examine how Uganda can strengthen enforcement and protect citizens as financial crime becomes increasingly sophisticated.
