UGANDA

TJ MECHANISMS
drought or flooding crises. 871
f. The Election Commission must have impartial leadership to conduct
free and fair elections. 872
g. Some participants recommended that the Government prevent
expatriate workers from taking jobs at the expense of local citizens. 873
h. The issue of creating new districts sparked different reactions; some
groups called for more to be created and others called for them to be stopped. 874
i. Pertaining to gender policy, participants called on the Minister of
Gender to provide better sensitization on the rights of women. 875
Way Forward
Given the number of concerns raised by participants in every district, and the abundance
of recommendations offered, institutional and legal reform is evidently a major priority
for a comprehensive transitional justice agenda. The research reveals that both local and
central Government authorities are key actors in implementing needed reforms. Overall,
institutional and legal reforms represent forward-looking actions that can promote
justice through safeguarding the rule of law and fighting corruption in the provision of
social services. Also, better economic and land policy can prevent future conflicts, and
improving access to services and education can complement other transitional justice
mechanisms such as reparations.
Conclusion
Based on the NRTJ Audit findings presented above, several emerging themes relating
to the state of transitional justice in Uganda can be identified. The NRTJ Audit revealed
a general consensus on many overarching justice needs and a broadly shared vision for
how transitional justice mechanisms should address them. These key issues are outlined
below.
First, participants articulated a clear call for implementation of transitional justice
measures on all levels of society, from the grassroots to the national arena. This was
evident especially in the demand to include a broad range of stakeholders, both state and
non-state actors, in truth-telling and accountability processes. There was a consensus
that Uganda’s conflicts are mostly due to unresolved national questions and that they
should therefore be addressed not only at the local but also at the national level.
Second, communities called for more Government support of local institutions, primarily
in order to increase their capacity to carry out traditional justice processes, provide
psychosocial support, engage in memorialisation, participate in amnesty decisions and
facilitate the distribution of reparations.
871 Research conducted in Bulambuli District
872 Research conducted in Lira District
873 Research conducted in Arua District
874 Research conducted in Nakasongola, Tororo and Hoima Districts
875 Research conducted in in Bulambuli District
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