In a dramatic courtroom confrontation, veteran opposition leader Dr Kizza Besigye turned the tables on the presiding judge during proceedings in his high-profile treason case, effectively putting the judiciary itself under scrutiny. Besigye, who has been detained for nearly a year alongside co-accused, used his appearance before Justice Emmanuel Baguma at the High Court to…
Three individuals, including two teenagers, have been detained by the Buganda Road Chief Magistrate’s Court for pretending to be businessman Hamis Kiggundu and tricking people out of money via social media. The accused, 24-year-old Master Don Sharif and two minors aged 16 and 17, appeared before Magistrate Ronald Kayizzi and denied the charges. The court…
Timothy Kayondo and Denis Muguzi have lost their piece of land after they defaulted on a Shs 200 million loan offered to them by Goldmine Finance Limited. The loan was offered at a rate of 48% per year. Justice Susan Odongo of the High Court overturned a lower court’s temporary injunction that had blocked the…
Mohanpal Singh Bharj, a Kampala-based businessman, has won a legal battle against his former tax adviser, Hitesh Mahendra Mehta, whom he had lent Shs 270 million. The case, heard in the Commercial Division of the High Court, stemmed from a financial arrangement gone sour between the two men, both chartered accountants. The disagreement began in…
They were neighbours in Ggaba, Makindye, in Kampala. Christine Nagawa and Grant Mweteise operated retail shops that were next to each other. One day in February 2020, they quarrelled and threats were exchanged. A few days later, Mweteise’s shop caught fire. Witnesses claimed they had seen Nagawa near the scene of the fire. Naggawa was…
The High Court has awarded writer Annette Najjemba Shs 100 million after finding that MK Publishers Limited infringed her copyright by adapting and selling her children’s stories without permission. The judgement, delivered by Justice Patience Rubagumya on October 2, 2025, also put to a halt any further use of her work by the publisher. The…
The High Court has fined Sheikh Shaban Mubajje, the mufti of Uganda, Shs 70 million for unlawfully trying to take over a piece of land that belongs to Alliance High School in Nansana, Wakiso. The ruling, delivered by Justice Grace Flavia Lamuno on September 26, 2025, came after the case proceeded without Mubajje and Aisha…
The Supreme Court has said it lacks the jurisdiction to hear an application by the law firm Matovu & Matovu Advocates, which is seeking Shs 64 billion in legal fees for successfully representing 1,600 workers of Uganda Telecom and Post Bank who were demanding gratuity and pension after being laid off. The law firm, which…
In 2011, Dr Rene Bakashaba and his wife, Ann, agreed to buy a flat in one of the National Housing estates in Naalya. The flat was valued at Shs 240 million and they paid a deposit of Shs 24 million or 10% as requested by National Housing. The flat was part of the Naalya Pride…
The High Court has dismissed a lawsuit brought by businesswoman Margaret Nalubega against Equity Bank after she claimed that the bank delayed in clearing her credit record leading her to suffer a financial loss. The court found that the bank was not solely responsible for delays in clearing her credit record and that Nalubega failed…
Kampala Club, a leisure place patronised by the powerful and the connected, will not have to pay Shs 166 million that the Uganda Revenue Authority (URA) had assessed as VAT on the membership fees, the High Court has ruled. The decision, delivered by Justice Susan Odongo overturns an earlier ruling by the Tax Appeals Tribunal…
The High Court has ordered the eviction of two school owners from a property in Kisugu, Kampala, after they defaulted on a bank loan. The decision, made by Justice Susan Odongo grants Cairo Bank Uganda possession of the land, which was used as security for the debt. The case stems from a loan agreement in…
Alex Wakamala, one of nine people accused of defaming Pastor Robert Kayanja, this week struggled to explain in court whether ot not he knew three of his co-accused: Agrey Kanene, Israel Wasswa, and Jamie Mwondha. The group is charged at the Mwanga II Magistrate’s Court in Mengo, with spreading false stories and inappropriate comments to…
The High Court has significantly raised the fees awarded to a Kampala-based law firm for defending a Libyan investment company in a prolonged dispute over debt recovery commissions. The decision by Justice Bonny Isaac Teko, originates from a 2011 civil suit where Southern Investments Limited sued the Libyan Arab Foreign Investment Company (LAFICO) for $9.5…
The High Court has granted Centenary Bank 14 days to to defend itself in a lawsuit accusing it of fraudulently withdrawing over Shs 310 million from the estate account of a deceased employee. The case stems from the death of Resty Mutima, a former bank employee. Her father, Gabriel Musisi, who was appointed administrator of…
The High Court has temporarily halted the enforcement of over Shs 1.2 billion in costs awarded to court bailiffs in a protracted property dispute between DFCU Bank Limited and Meera Investments Limited. The ruling by Justice Olive Kazaarwe Mukwaya grants interim relief to DFCU Bank pending the resolution of broader appeals. The case originates from…
In a shocking decision, Justice Paul Nshimye, a High Court judge based in Mbarara, has allowed a male refugee accused of aggravated defilement to walk free on bail while awaiting trial. The ruling, made on September 12, 2025, has raised eyebrows because aggravated defilement – the crime the man is charged with – is one…
Business tycoon, John Ssebalamu, has been awarded Shs 550 million by the High Court after the government unlawfully interfered with 20 parcels of his private land in Rubaga, Kampala, by issuing a “buyer beware” notice and gazetting it for a railway project that was never completed. The ruling was delivered on September 12, 2025, by…
The High Court has sided with the Kampala Capital City Authority (KCCA) in its bid to recover millions in unpaid property rates from Shumuk Investments Limited. The decision, delivered by Justice Patricia Mutesi, grants KCCA a warrant to collect Shs 123 million from Shumuk plus ongoing penalties and legal costs. The case stems from KCCA’s…
Mengo Court Magistrate Adams Byarugaba has ordered the six-month imprisonment of Prossy Namugga, the mother of suspect Moses Tumwiine, also known as Semanobe, after she failed to produce her son in court. Namugga, who stood as a surety for Tumwiine, was arrested a few weeks ago when he failed to appear for multiple court sessions,…
The High Court in Mbarara has dismissed a legal challenge against the Democratic Party (DP) by three party members who accused the party of holding illegal elections in Mbarara in May. In a ruling, Justice Allan Paul M. Nshimye threw out the application, citing multiple procedural errors by the challengers, including missed deadlines, unproven party…
The Industrial Court has ordered World Vision Uganda to pay its former employee, Bonny Ocen Shs 17.8 million as compensation over unfair dismissal. Ocen was hired by World Vision, a global Christian organization focused on helping children and communities escape poverty, in 2017 as Project Officer for Resilience and Livelihood programs in Minakulu Oyam district….
In March, the Tax Appeals Tribunal rejected a request by Kuku Foods Uganda Limited, the company behind the KFC fast-food chain in Uganda, to halt the Uganda Revenue Authority (URA) from collecting Shs 4.2 billion worth of taxes until their tax dispute is resolved. The tribunal dismissed the application, ordering Kuku Foods to pay costs,…
Alex Wakamala, a 30-year-old boda-boda rider, yesterday faced intense cross-examination at the Mwanga II Court in a case involving allegations against Rubaga Miracle Centre senior pastor, Robert Kayanja. Wakamala is one of nine men accused of falsely claiming that Pastor Kayanja committed unnatural offenses and trespassing at his church premises. In his sworn defense, Wakamala…
The High Court has ordered Patrick Masambu, the former executive director of Uganda Communications Commission (UCC) to remove his structures from a small portion of land in Bugolobi, that is owned by Omar Ahmed (aka Mandela) and his brothers. The portion is roughly 10 feet by 5 feet (54 square meters). The ruling, delivered by…
Once upon a time in Kampala, Uganda there was a bank called Commercial Bank of Africa (CBA) and a company named Kare Distribution Ltd. They had done business together, involving loans and accounts, but things went sour. In 2018, they ended up in a lower court to sort out their disagreement. Instead of fighting it…
The High Court has decided to keep a caveat on a piece of land in Ntinda, Kampala, amid an ongoing ownership dispute between Multi Consults Design Ltd and the National Housing and Construction Company (NHCC). The decision, delivered by Justice Naluzze Aisha Batala, rejected an application by Multi Consults to remove the caveat placed by…
The High Court has declared part of a lawsuit invalid because it was filed against a person who had already died. The case revolves around a piece of land in Kawempe, Kampala, measuring about five acres. This land was subdivided into Plots 498 and 499 in the 1990s, sparking claims of fraud and ownership battles…
The Constitutional Court has thrown out a public interest lawsuit aimed at stopping security agencies from re-arresting suspects immediately after they are granted bail, acquitted, or released by courts. The court said the case doesn’t require interpreting the Constitution but is better suited for the High Court to handle as a human rights enforcement matter….
The Court of Appeal has rejected an appeal by 34 former law enforcement assistants who argued they were unfairly fired by the Kampala Capital City Authority (KCCA) and deserved pension, gratuity, and other benefits. The three-judge panel upheld an earlier decision by the Industrial Court, saying the workers were bound by their short-term contracts and…
The High Court has overturned a contempt of court ruling and fines imposed by the Tax Appeals Tribunal (TAT) against Nile Breweries arguing that it (tribunal) lacked the power to punish the company for what it called “civil contempt”. However, the court sided with the tribunal on a key tax rule, confirming that companies must…
Mengo Court Magistrate Adams Byarugaba has remanded Prossy Namugga, the mother of a suspect, after she failed to trace the whereabouts of her son, Moses Tumwiine, also known as Semanobe. Namugga was arrested a few days ago following a warrant issued by the same court when her son, Moses Tumwiine, missed court appearances more than…
The High Court (Commercial Division) yesterday rejected an application by Ratidu Trading Ltd and two individuals to review and set aside a previous judgment ordering them to pay over Shs 1.3 billion to Equity Bank (U). Justice Susan Odongo dismissed the case, saying the applicants failed to prove they had discovered new evidence or that…
The Court of Appeal has dismissed an application by two companies, Simba Properties Investment Co. Ltd and Simba Telecom Ltd, to temporarily stop the sale of six properties they had mortgaged over a loan. The properties include Protea Skyz Hotel on Naguru hill. In a ruling last week, the court said it lacks the power…
A Ugandan businessman, Daniel Dennis Ssemugenyi and his company have won a major legal victory after the High Court ordered DFCU to unfreeze their account, which had been locked for over 10 months due to allegations of fraud. In September 2023, Daniel Dennis Investment Group Ltd owned by Ssemugenyi, signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MOU),…
The Court of Appeal has partially overturned convictions in the Katosi-Nyenga upgrade corruption case freeing Joe Ssemugooma, the former head of finance at UNRA, while upholding the sentence for Apollo Senkeeto, who procured the contractor. The decision, delivered on August 22, 2025, stems from a 2018 trial over alleged fraud in the procurement of the…
The High Court has allowed two health companies, run by David Kyewalabye-Male, the former head of Buganda Land Board (BLB), to stay in their rented building in Rubaga until the main case is resolved. The decision stops the landlord, James Lubega, from evicting them or interfering with their operations for now. The case involves Kyewalabye-Male’s…
The High Court has thrown out a legal challenge by Dr. Richard Kabiito, a lecturer at Makerere University, who tried to stop an investigation into allegations of sexual harassment against him. Justice Simon Peter M. Kinobe said the case was not ready for court review because the university’s probe was still in its early stages…
Justice Simon Peter Kinobe has thrown out a legal challenge by former Aruu County MP, Odonga Otto, which sought to force the Electoral Commission (EC) to recognize him as the new leader of the Revolutionary People’s Party (RPP). Justice Kinobe ruled that Otto’s case was not fit for “judicial review,” a legal process used to…
The commercial division of the High Court has dismissed a lawsuit filed by Westwinds Trading Company Matco Ltd against Exim Bank (Uganda) Ltd. The judge ruled that the case was filed incorrectly under Ugandan law, and ordered Westwinds to pay the bank’s legal costs. The dispute started when Westwinds accused Exim Bank of wrongly transferring…
Dr. Alan Shonubi, one of Uganda’s well-known lawyers, has been ordered by the High Court to facilitate the refund of Shs 100 million to Sal Oil Limited after a land deal went sour. The ruling, delivered on August 15, 2025, stems from a 2019 agreement where Sal Oil tried to buy a plot in Mbale…
The Appeals Tribunal of the PPDA has dismissed a case brought by Goldstar Insurance against the Uganda National Oil Company (UNOC). The tribunal said in its ruling on August 12 that the insurance firm’s application was filed too late, making it invalid under the law. The case started from a dispute over a procurement process…
On Kampala Road, next to Crane Chambers, stands the gleaming Church House, a 16-story building that serves as the headquarters for the Church of Uganda. This iconic structure, completed in recent years, nearly slipped from the church’s grasp due to a massive loan from Equity Bank Uganda. Back in 2010, under the leadership of then…
The Court of Appeal has ordered former minister, Israel Mayengo, to sell half an acre of his land in Muyenga to John Lwalanda as per their earlier oral agreement. The decision, issued on August 11, ends a long-running dispute over an oral land deal gone sour. The case started in 2009 when Lwalanda sued Mayengo…
The High Court (Commerical Division) has given businessman Kennedy Losuk, 60 days to deposit Shs 10 billion in Equity Bank or have his properties, including Emin Pasha Hotel in Nakasero, sold off. The 60 days end on October 10, 2025. A couple of years ago, the owner of the hotel, Kennedy Losuk, borrowed billions from…
The Court of Appeal has temporarily stopped proceedings in a High Court arbitration case involving Simba Properties Investment Co. Ltd and Vantage Mezzanine Fund II Partnership. Simba Properies Investment Co. Ltd is owned by businessman, Patrick Bitature. The decision, made by Justice Oscar Kihika, pauses High Court Arbitration Case until an application for leave to…
The High Court has ordered car dealer Yassah Matovu to refund tycoon, Mutaasa Kafeero, Shs 300 million after he supplied him with a Range Rover that did not match the description in the contract. The ruling was delivered at the end of last month. Through his lawyers Muwema and Company Advocates, Kafeero sued Matovu last…
The Constitutional Court, in a landmark ruling, dismissed a petition brought by a one Jackson Ntwatwa challenging the court’s jurisdiction to handle interlocutory applications. The decision, delivered yesterday by a panel of five justices— Justice Geoffrey Kiryabwire, Justice Cheborion Barishaki, Justice Muzamiru M. Kibedi, Justice Irene Mulyagonja, and Justice Christopher Gashirabake—clarified the court’s authority and…
Atkins Godfrey Katusabe, the MP for Bukonzo West in Kasese district, has won a legal battle against telecom giant, MTN, after it deactivated his simcard due to what it called discrepancies in his indentification documents. Katusabe is the husband to Sarah Opendi, the vocal woman MP for Tororo. Justice David S.L. Makumbi of the High…
If you are a heavily indebted businessperson in Uganda, sinking under the weight of a bank loan with no hope of repaying it, what do you do? For many, they would let the bank foreclose their mortgaged properties and lick their wounds. But if you are of the stature of Hamis Kiggundu, Patrick Bitature, Amos…
