The Judiciary of Uganda has launched a two-week mediation drive to clear hundreds of land disputes and ease pressure on courts burdened by a growing case backlog.
The Principal Judge, Jane Frances Abodo, flagged off the Land Settlement Fortnight at TWED Towers in Kampala. The Land Division has cause-listed 519 cases for mediation and is targeting to settle about 270 of them during the exercise.
The initiative is being conducted under the Judicature (Court-Annexed Mediation) Rules, 2026, which provide for disputes to be resolved through court-annexed mediation within 60 days. Any settlement reached through the process is adopted as a court order and becomes legally binding
"Land cases are complex and delays hurt families, communities and investment," Abodo stated.
"We must expand mediation to reduce backlog," she added.
The Head of the Land Division, Damalie Lwanga, said mediation offers a cheaper, faster and more amicable way of resolving disputes while preserving relationships among parties.
"We urge litigants to attend in person and embrace dialogue for lasting solutions," Justice Lwanga stated.
According to Judiciary statistics, the Land Division had 7,279 pending cases as of March 31, 2026. During the third quarter of the 2025/2026 Financial Year, the division registered 1,067 new cases but disposed of 1,363 matters, including 58 through mediation.
Despite the progress, the division still has a backlog of 3,294 cases, representing 45.2 percent of all pending matters.
Principal Judge Abodo urged judges and judicial officers to prioritise older cases and clear inactive files in order to improve efficiency and ensure timely justice.
She also called upon advocates to guide their clients towards amicable settlements instead of pursuing lengthy and costly litigation where mediation remains a viable option.
The Judiciary has in recent years increasingly embraced Alternative Dispute Resolution (ADR) mechanisms as part of efforts to improve access to justice and reduce case backlogs. In preparation for the Land Settlement Fortnight, the Judiciary held an ADR roundtable in May and trained mediators through the Judicial Training Institute to strengthen the effectiveness of the exercise.
Officials say the mediation drive is expected to provide faster relief to litigants, reduce the burden on courts and promote sustainable resolutions to the often sensitive and protracted land disputes that continue to dominate Uganda's judicial system.
