Kampala– The Director of Public Prosecutions (DPP), Mr. Lino Anguzu on Wednesday, led a delegation comprising members of the Office of the Director of Public Prosecutions (ODPP) Top and Senior Management before the Committee on Legal and Parliamentary Affairs, chaired by Hon. John Teira, to present an update on the Office’s work and performance over the past five years.
Ms. Agnes Kainza Nzogi, the Permanent Secretary, on behalf of the DPP, delivered the Office’s presentation, highlighting its key achievements and challenges.
Among the major accomplishments presented were the recovery of over UGX 14 billion and land valued at UGX 1.6 billion through the Office’s anti-corruption efforts in 4 financial years; a significant reduction in the case backlog through initiatives such as plea bargaining; the construction of 10 Regional Offices and several Resident State Attorney offices; the development of key prosecutorial instruments, including the Decision to Charge Guidelines to guide prosecutors in exercising their prosecutorial discretion; and enhanced public awareness of criminal justice processes through barazas, open days, talk shows and other initiatives.
The DPP also underscored three priority areas requiring urgent intervention by Parliament, these included addressing the acute shortage of prosecutors in the Office, enacting an enabling law to strengthen the ODPP’s operations, and increasing funding to support witness preparation for court proceedings.
Members of the Committee engaged the DPP on various aspects of the presentation and raised several questions. The Committee requested that the DPP appear before it again on a date to be communicated by Parliament to provide responses.
Among other officials from the ODPP, were the Deputy Directors of Public Prosecutions, Mr. James Odumbi Owere, Mr. John Baptist Asiimwe, and Mr. George William Byansi, along with the Principal Policy Analyst, Ms. Viola Tucungwirwe, all from the Office’s Top Management.
