Fred Waninda, the Commercial Court Acting Registrar in charge of Planning, Performance and Development who recently slapped a journalist at the court premises and destroyed his camera have been transferred in the latest judiciary changes.
Journalists under their umbrella body, Uganda Journalists Association (UJA) early this year petitioned the Judicial Service Commission Waninda’s conduct when slapped Hannington Kisakye, a reporter working with Smart 24 Television and broke his camera’s lens.
Waninda is currently battling with charges before the civil division of the High Court in Kampala but in his defence jokingly said he only intended to grab the journalist’s camera.
However, in the latest changes effected by the Chief Registrar of the Judiciary, Esta Nambayo in which 11 judicial officers are affected, Waninda has been transferred to the High Court in Masaka as a deputy registrar.
Others transferred are Dr.Gladys Mudhasi and Amos Kwizera who have been sent to Lira and Mbarara High Courts respectively as deputy registrars because the chief magistrates in those courts have been also performing additional duties as caretaker registrars.
I wanted to snatch the camera but not beat the journalist – Registrar defends self
Cissy Mudhasi has been moved from Mukono to Jinja High Court circuit whereas Flavia Nabakooza has been moved from the Executions Division to Land Division of the High Court and Assistant Registrar, Dorothy Ssempala Lwanga from Masaka is now moved to the Executions & Bailiffs Division.
Also transferred are Magistrates Grade One: Mukasa Sanyu (from Mbarara to Nabweru Chief Magistrates Court; Muhimbise Gordon (Ibanda to Mbarara Chief Magistrate’s Court) and Marion Mangeni (Nabweru to the Standards, Utilities and Wildlife Court at Buganda Road).
The transfers according to Nambayo are meant to improve service delivery in the courts.
“The transfers and deployments take immediate effect and are aimed at promoting better relations between the judiciary and stakeholders especially the Justice, Law and Order Sector community and district authorities,” the judiciary Chief Registrar said.
