Rukiga Court Vocabulary & Proverbs

Rukiga Court Vocabulary & Proverbs

Below is a list of Rukiga words and proverbs related specifically to court and legal matters. This would be useful for Rukiga learners to know when engaging court themselves or hearing about court cases on the radio or TV.

Nouns:

Embuga za amateeka – court house

Omuramuzi / Abaramuzi – judge/judges

Orubanja – crime

Omushango – case

Omunyabiragiro/omutonganizi – lawyer

Ishe abaramuzi – chief justice

Endahiro – oath

Endagaano – agreement

Gunsigire – a person that pleads guilty

Ensharamu – verdict, decisions

Obujurizi – evidence

Kareebi – witness

Omurinzi – guard

Omutabaazi – plaintiff

Kihababirwa – defendant

Verbs:

Okuramura – to mediate/judge

Okuhanika – to surrender

Okurahira – to spare a person

Okuriha – to pay for damages

Okwehakana orubanja – to deny a crime

Okwomesereza – to insist on something

Okuhoza omushango – to answer a case

Proverbs:

Omufu tahozo – A dead man does not answer a case

Omworo tasiinga rubaanja – A poor person can’t win a court case

Gunsingire ariha bikye – a person who pleads guilty gets a smaller penalty