The Judiciary has called for greater use of alternative dispute resolution (ADR) to handle high-value construction disputes and reduce case backlogs in courts.
Speaking at the third day of the GUMZO La Alternative Dispute Resolution Conference at Mestil Hotel & Residences, Mike Chibita said specialised mechanisms such as adjudication are necessary to resolve infrastructure-related disputes quickly.
Chibita noted that while construction disputes may not be the most common cases in the courts, they often involve the highest monetary value, making timely resolution critical to avoid delays in major infrastructure projects.
“Construction-related disputes may not be the majority, but they carry significant financial implications and must be resolved quickly to avoid stalling development projects,” he said.
The conference session focused on a specialised masterclass on construction contracts and dispute adjudication, aimed at equipping judicial officers, engineers and government technocrats with practical knowledge on resolving disputes arising from infrastructure projects.
Participants included judicial officers, officials from the Attorney General of Uganda’s chambers, engineers from the Ministry of Works and Transport, and delegates from Kenya, Rwanda, and other African countries.
Chibita also revealed that the Judiciary has established a pool of retired judges serving as mediators and adjudicators to strengthen expertise in handling complex commercial and infrastructure disputes.
The Judicial Training Institute said it remains ready to organise specialised training programmes for government agencies and justice sector actors to strengthen dispute resolution capacity.
Officials from the Engineers Registration Board and the Ministry of Works and Transport welcomed the initiative, noting that the construction sector contributes about 7% of Uganda’s GDP and plays a key role in delivering national infrastructure under Vision 2040 and the Fourth National Development Plan.
They said ADR offers faster and more cost-effective solutions to common disputes in construction projects, including delayed payments and design changes.