Africa-Press – Uganda. President Museveni has welcomed an initiative by the Catholic Lawyers Society International to set up a university in Karamoja Sub-region.
In a speech delivered on his behalf by Vice President Jessica Alupo during the official launch of the process to establish the university in Kampala on Saturday, President Museveni said the move supports the National Resistance Movement (NRM) vision of social-economic transformation.
“I thank the Catholic lawyers for demonstrating a concern for social issues beyond their legal practice. I applaud the Catholic lawyers for initiating uplift programmes aimed at improving the wellbeing of the people,” he said
Karamoja Peace and Technology University will be based in Kotido District, with President Museveni as its chancellor.
Mr Severino Twinobusingye, the president of the Catholic Lawyers Society International, said the university will focus on developing peace in the region through strategic research and facilitate the process of a paradigm shift, change of attitude and mindset at all levels.
“We have already done the preliminary legal work so what we need to do next is engage a consultant to go through those technical issues so he can tell us the cost. The next step is to engage with the National Council for Higher Education, we get an interim order of Authority that allows us to go and start raising funds. We can only raise funds on the basis of what architects and engineers will advise,” he said.
Former prime minister Amama Mbabazi is expected to lead a regional and global fundraising drive to raise funds to get the university running.
According to Mr Twinobusingye, the idea of a university is research as a key step to addressing the problems that have bedevilled the restive region for decades.
“There are many issues in Karamoja. Why is everybody in Uganda where we are and people in Karamoja are still at that level? In our understanding, the solution is Karamoja University of Peace and Technology that we have set up,” Mr Twinobusingye said.
Chief Justice tips lawyers
Speaking at the same event, Chief Justice Alfonse Owiny-Dollo urged lawyers to work to influence legislation and policy, away from civil and criminal litigation. He laid emphasis should be on the push for distributive justice that aims to ensure a right for every citizen to benefit from the resources of the country.
According to Justice Owiny-Dollo, while the court system is key in offering justice, lawyers should evaluate when to go to court, or adopt other methods. Methods such as mediation, he said, will be key in the peace process in Karamoja.
“We must draw on our traditional justice mechanism. A court of law may not be the best to sort out things like land disputes. Arbitration before elders could yield better results than court rendered justice:” he said.
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