KAMPALA, 15 October 2026 — The Minister of Justice and Constitutional Affairs, Hon. Norbert Mao, has called for greater investment in mental health systems and community-led approaches to healing, reconciliation and peacebuilding across the Great Lakes Region.
The Minister made the call while officiating at the opening of the Great Lakes Regional Conference on Localization and Integrated Mental Health, Psychosocial Support and Peacebuilding (MHPSS-PB), held at Munyonyo Commonwealth Resort in Kampala.
Hon. Mao also delivered the keynote address at the conference, which was held under the theme “Beyond Specialist Care: Community-Based Sociotherapy as the Future of Sustainable MHPSS and Peacebuilding.”
The conference brought together practitioners, researchers, policymakers, community leaders and development partners from across the Great Lakes Region to explore locally led solutions that strengthen mental health, social cohesion, community resilience and sustainable peace.
In his keynote address, the Minister reflected on Uganda’s journey from conflict to recovery, highlighting the importance of addressing the social and psychological effects of conflict as part of broader efforts to achieve lasting peace.
He underscored the critical connection between justice, healing and mental health, noting the need to strengthen community-based approaches that enable individuals and communities to overcome the legacies of conflict, rebuild trust and support reconciliation.
Hon. Mao emphasised that governments should take primary responsibility for investing in mental health systems, while development partners provide complementary support. He stressed the importance of sustained investment in community-based approaches that make mental health and psychosocial support more accessible to affected communities and strengthen their capacity to heal and rebuild.
The conference provided a platform for stakeholders to examine how community-based sociotherapy can complement specialist mental health services by empowering communities to participate directly in their healing and recovery processes.
Discussions also focused on strengthening integrated approaches to mental health and psychosocial support, fostering social cohesion and ensuring that peacebuilding initiatives respond to the needs and experiences of affected communities.
The conference reaffirmed the importance of locally led interventions, justice, reconciliation and inclusive community engagement in building resilient and cohesive societies and advancing sustainable peace across the Great Lakes Region.