NORTHERN PROVINCE
 
MUSANZE – The President of the Supreme Court, Aloyse Cyanzayire yesterday spent 10 hours responding to queries from angry residents over unfinished and backlog cases in Musanze district.

Residents fielded questions which rotated on cases of land wrangles, family property and forms of gender based violence. Instances were narrated where girls have been denied right inheriting family  property.

In a packed court room, at Musanze Grand Instance Court, residents whose cases were still pending demanded to be rescued from the backlogs which had accumulated in Musanze.

After receiving their complaints, Cyanzayire advised residents to settle some of the their wrangles which appeared to be petty from with in their cells using village reconcilers-Abunzi and local authorities instead of wasting time in court.

She however warned judicial officials against engaging in corruption.
‘I will utilize this opportunity to deal with local judicial problems. At the same time I reiterate our obligations clearly. I want to warn the judicial officers to be aware of the consequences incase they are caught in corruption,’’ Cyanzayire said.

She recognised, the challenge among the court assessors, after many residents accused them of sidelining and failing to complete the cases as required.

Cyanzayire said that court assessors would acquire more professional training  but advised the residents to consider the amount of time and money to be spend on  filing of petty cases.

Some of the cases were reported to have been in court in the last two decades while others have taken three to five years and were still demanding completion.

According to the president of Musanze High Court Instance Izabella Riziki, 70% of the cases in the Northern Province are related to land wrangles emanating from polygamous families.

One of cases involved Nyirarusisiro Felicite who reported her husband, Mundere Samuel for marrying  a second wife and being further accused of misalloting family land. This case has been in court since 1986.

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