ULS and Ker Kwaro Acholi Partner to Boost Access to Justice

The Uganda Law Society (ULS) and the Acholi Cultural Institution (Ker Kwaro Acholi - KKA) have officially joined forces through a landmark Memorandum of Understanding. Signed on October 26, the collaboration aims to enhance access to justice, champion land rights for women, and bolster Alternative Dispute Resolution (ADR) mechanisms throughout the Acholi Sub-region.

Ms. Stella Kijange Lajiri, the KKA Minister for Gender, Youth, and Culture, emphasized that the agreement focuses heavily on utilizing the Alternative Justice System (AJS) and ADR to resolve land, family, and community conflicts. Historically, the Acholi community relied on deeply rooted traditional reconciliation methods such as mato oput, nyono tong gweno, and gomo tong. However, these cultural frameworks were severely eroded by decades of the Lord’s Resistance Army insurgency, which displaced thousands and triggered complex post-war land disputes.

Under this three-year initiative, ULS and KKA will train local chiefs, clan elders, and cultural leaders on essential legal frameworks, including land law, succession, and human rights. The partnership seeks to harmonize traditional dispute resolution practices with national laws to better protect women and children, who frequently suffer from land grabbing and gender-based violence (GBV).

Mr. Anthony Asiimwe, the ULS Vice President, noted that the society will provide vital legal aid, awareness campaigns, and referral networks through village dialogues and joint legal clinics. Meanwhile, KKA will spearhead community mobilization, identify mediation candidates, and help document traditional practices that foster peace. Stakeholders are optimistic that combining formal legal knowledge with traditional wisdom will bring lasting relief to vulnerable groups, particularly widows and orphans battling property evictions.

Read the full story originally published by Daily Monitor at Inside ULS, KKA partnership to promote access to justice.