The Permanent Secretary and Secretary to the Judiciary, Pius Bigirimana, on Tuesday hosted a delegation from the United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime (UNODC) led by Sharon Lesa Nyambe, the outgoing Head of the UNODC Uganda Office.
The courtesy visit, held at the Judiciary Headquarters, served both to reaffirm the organisation’s longstanding partnership with the Judiciary and to formally mark the end of Ms. Nyambe’s tenure in Uganda.
Bigirimana hailed UNODC for its sustained collaboration, noting that its interventions have strengthened the Judiciary’s institutional capacity, enhanced service delivery, and supported critical justice sector reforms.
He stressed the importance of proper planning, prioritisation, and accountability in public service, remarking that measurable results are the only true demonstration of accountability to taxpayers.
“Our attitude determines the quality of our work,” he said, urging development partners to embrace creativity, innovation, empowerment, and performance-based reward systems. He further underscored the importance of teamwork, harmonisation, and synergy among institutions in achieving national development goals.
Drawing from themes in his book 'Unchained', Bigirimana encouraged the UNODC delegation to maintain conceptual clarity, cultivate strong problem-diagnosis skills, and adopt a positive mindset to enhance service delivery. He pledged the Judiciary’s continued cooperation with UNODC and wished Ms. Nyambe a fulfilling retirement.
Nyambe, in her remarks, expressed deep appreciation for the support extended to UNODC during her service in Uganda. She commended Bigirimana’s role in helping reform UN agencies partnering with the Judiciary, noting that his leadership had contributed to more effective and impactful programme implementation.
She also announced UNODC’s upcoming programme, “Promoting Accountability, Integrity and Transparency in Justice – Uganda,” an initiative aimed at strengthening accountability mechanisms and improving justice services for citizens.
To honor her service, Bigirimana presented Nyambe with three of his authored works: Abundance Mentality, Unchained, and Corruption: A Tale of Wolves in Sheep’s Clothing.