The Judiciary Permanent Secretary, Pius Bigirimana, explained the circumstances that led to a plan to arm‑or five selected judges’ vehicles. Speaking to journalists on Wednesday, he said a security assessment prompted the decision to armor certain judges’ cars. “As you may recall, the Principal Judge was attacked on the Kampala‑Masaka highway and there have been threats against other principals. It is not for all judicial officers but for some. We have a demand for armouring five vehicles, and it is being done because of the security assessment made by security agencies,” Bigirimana said.
The Judiciary recently sought parliamentary approval for a Shs 1.6 billion budget to cover the armouring of judges’ vehicles. Bigirimana clarified that the funds are not for purchasing new armored vehicles but for modifying existing ones. “You may recall people like Joan Kagezi, who played sensitive roles, the attempt on the Principal Judge, and many other principals who have been threatened. The government therefore found it important to see how these people can be secured in the case of these threats. We are, however, not going to buy armored vehicles,” he said.
When asked which judges would receive the armored cars and what criteria would be used, the Judiciary Permanent Secretary said those details are security matters that cannot be disclosed publicly. “For security reasons, I can’t tell you,” he replied.
Security threats have intensified since the twin blasts in November 2021 at the Central Police Station and along Parliamentary Avenue in Kampala, which were attributed to the ADF terrorist group. In April last year, Principal Judge Dr Flavia Zeija was attacked by unknown assailants who planted an improvised explosive device on the Kampala‑Masaka highway; the judge was unharmed, but his lead car was damaged. Since then, security for judicial officers has been heightened, and the latest move to armor vehicles is part of that effort.
President Museveni has also emphasized security measures, noting that road closures sometimes inconvenience the public when he travels. “When I am moving around, sometimes they stop vehicles, which is something I wouldn’t like, but because we still have these types of elements (ADF), security takes precautions which sometimes inconvenience the public,” he said in December last year. He added that Uganda is “weeding out especially ADF in Congo” and expects to eliminate such inconveniences once the group is thoroughly uprooted.
Uganda has deployed troops to eastern DRC in a joint operation with the Congolese forces (FADRC) to combat the ADF, which is accused of orchestrating terror attacks inside Uganda. According to the Ugandan army, ADF fighters are now operating in small groups for fear of attacks, indicating that the operation is disrupting their activities.
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