When Sarah Langa Siu assumed the position of Chief Registrar of the Judiciary of Uganda as the youngest ever to occupy the office, she joined the Top Management of an institution at a crossroads, straddling two distinct eras: the pre-Administration of the Judiciary Act (AJA), where the system operated under constraints of limited autonomy, and the post-AJA era, which ushered in unprecedented opportunities for transformation. Navigating these transitions was no small feat given the pivotal role of the Chief Registrar in the Judiciary, and it is only by God’s guiding hand that she was able to serve faithfully for close to half a decade. Through God, she found wisdom when she was uncertain, strength when she was weak, and clarity in moments clouded by complexity. It is a privilege that God, in His infinite wisdom, considered it fit to bestow upon her. This memoir is her way of giving glory back to God for carrying her through what has been one of the most fulfilling yet challenging seasons of her life.

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This book critically examines the laws, processes, and factors that impact the execution of refund orders issued by the Anti-Corruption Division (ACD) over the past decade. Primarily a qualitative study, it draws on desk reviews of legislation and literature, case study analysis, and in-depth interviews. The study reveals that while there is a fairly comprehensive legal framework that supports the issuance of refund orders by the ACD, several gaps in the provisions hinder their practical application. One key issue is the failure of the legal regime to clearly designate which actors are responsible for pursuing the execution of refund orders to recover stolen funds. Additionally, the use of judicial discretion often undermines the issuance and execution of these orders. The process for executing mandatory refund orders is straightforward. However, the procedure for discretionary refund orders is not well-defined within the current anti-corruption legal framework, requiring interested parties to navigate other legislation to compel defaulting convicts to return stolen funds.