The High Court has thrown out a counterclaim in a commercial dispute involving money, property abroad, and the estate of Hajj Musa Sewava, a deceased businessman who founded Sir Apollo Schools in Uganda. Sewava’s son, Habib Namakajjo, had sued one of the wives of the late businessman, Madina Nakitto, after they disagreed on how to…
Airtel Uganda has been ordered to pay more than Shs1.09 billion in additional taxes to the Uganda Revenue Authority (URA) for equipment it imported to manage high-speed data traffic. Court records show that Airtel declared the price of the equipment, known as a Broadband Processing Board, at about $1,349 (Shs 5 million at the time). But…
Equity Bank has been given a go-ahead by the court to pursue recovery of more than Shs 1.3 billion from Ratidu Trading Limited. Justice Susan Odongo rejected an application by Ratidu Trading and its director, Titi Kayondo Kabi, who had asked the court to halt execution of earlier orders as they prepared to appeal. The…
The High Court in Gulu has allowed Tonny Kitara to serve court documents to Norbert Mao through a newspaper advertisement after finding that all attempts to reach the minister personally had failed. Kitara competed against Mao for the Laroo-Pece division and lost in January this year. However, on April 1, he challenged Mao’s election in…
Justice Joyce Kavuma of the civil division of the High Court has halted civil proceedings brought against the Financial Intelligence Authority (FIA) by Zulpha Birungi after the body froze her account following allegations of fraud. The dispute began after a complaint by Cellulant Uganda Limited, which reported what it described as an illegal and fraudulent…
The Industrial Court has dismissed a labour dispute filed by Matthew Rumanyika against the Nile Basin Initiative (NBI), his former employer, saying the regional organisation enjoys diplomatic immunity and cannot be sued in Ugandan courts over such employment matters. Justice Anthony Wabwire Musana said the case could not proceed because the court had no power…
The Financial Intelligence Authority (FIA) acted “illegally, irrationally and with procedural impropriety” when it froze a company’s bank account without promptly seeking court approval, the High Court has ruled. The dispute started on January 4, 2026, when BMS General Trading Limited discovered that it could no longer access its money in Stanbic Bank. At that…
The long-running dispute between MTN and former Deputy Inspector General of Police Julius Odwe has taken another turn, after the court declined Odwe’s request to throw out an appeal lodged by the telecom company. The case dates back to 2012, when MTN rolled out a project to extend network connectivity to Dokolo. During that exercise,…
A dispute over a multi-billion shilling electricity metre tender has collapsed after the PPDA Appeals Tribunal dismissed a case filed by Uzuzi Meter Technologies Limited against Uganda Electricity Distribution Company Limited (UEDCL). In a ruling delivered on April 2, 2026, the Tribunal did not even go into the merits of the dispute. Instead, it found…
In December 2012, businessman Arvind Patel sued Zzimwe Enterprises and its directors, Paul Kasagga and Josephine Kasagga, demanding Shs 612 million. Paul and Josephine are the children of prominent businessman Andrew Kasagga, the founder of Zzimwe Enterprises, who died in 2010. Patel told the court the money was a friendly loan that had not been…
The Commercial Court has overturned an earlier decision ordering the National Insurance Corporation (NIC) to compensate Rock Global Oils (U) for more than Shs 45.8 million after it lost fuel in a road accident. It all started in 2014 when Rock Global Oils, a company involved in transporting fuel from Kenya to Uganda, took out…
Agnes Nandutu, the former State Minister for Karamoja, has been sentenced to four years in prison after being convicted of diverting iron sheets meant for vulnerable communities in Karamoja. The Anti-Corruption Court found that Nandutu unlawfully took 2,000 iron sheets that had been procured by the government to support disadvantaged households in the drought-prone sub-region….
As the court convenes today to sentence Agnes Nandutu, the former State Minister for Karamoja Affairs, following her conviction in the Karamoja iron sheets scandal, there is one person she regrets meeting: her own political assistant, Evelyn Hilda Bazibu. Details of the court proceedings show that Bazibu, who testified as Prosecution Witness 1 (PW1), helped…
A dispute that began nearly two decades ago over the construction of Course View Towers in Kampala has finally been settled, with Kampala Associated Advocates (KAA) emerging victorious for Seyani Brothers against Nangwala, Rezida & Co. Advocates, which represented Course View Limited. Justice Stephen Mubiru ruled that the court ruled that Course View Limited must…
Paul Maziike Ssemwogerere, a welder, who accused Tembo Steels Uganda of unfairly dismissing him has lost his case after the court ruled that he did not qualify for labour protection. Ssemwogerere was hired as a welder by Tembo Steels on September 12, 2023. He was paid Shs 75,000 per day. Ssemwogerere told the court that…
On August 17, 2015, Jane Nyamagambo appeared to be in a good mood as she spent the evening drinking at a popular bar in Fort Portal with Augustine Byaruhanga, Alex Magezi, and others. However, later in the night, she disappeared. Her body was discovered the following morning, floating in Lake Edward. Medical evidence showed that…
Fredrick Mubiru, a veteran civil engineer, has won a legal battle against the Engineers Registration Board after the High Court ruled that his suspension from practice was unfair and unlawful. In early 2024, several complaints were made against Mubiru by the National Building Review Board (NBRB). Mubiru, who runs Macro Technics Limited, was accused of…
Gabriel Achuk, a South Sudanese businessman who claimed he was locked inside the toilet of Ecobank at the Oasis Mall branch, where he had gone to withdraw money, has lost the case against the bank because his affidavit was “defective and incompetent”. Achuk had gone to court accusing the bank and police of violating his…
Justice Joyce Kavuma has allowed a request by a couple suing a fertility hospital in Bugolobi to keep their identities secret once court proceedings begin. The ruling followed an application filed by their lawyer, Fahim Matovu of Katende, Ssempebwa and Company Advocates, in a planned civil suit against Healingway Hospital and Healingway Fertility Centre, both…
Negash Tenaye Anteneh and Haile Banteyehun got married in Ethiopia, 50 years ago (October 1976). In the 1980s, the couple moved to Uganda to do business. Life seemed good, and Banteyehun set up Vambeco Enterprises in 1999. The company specializes in water supply, sanitation, and civil engineering works. In 2004, after they had made some…
The court has overturned an earlier decision that had ordered Barclays Bank of Uganda (now Absa Bank) to refund more than Shs 8.5 million to its customer, Eron Kabachwamba, after she discovered that she had failed to properly safeguard her debit card and PIN. On January 18, 2013, Shs 8.5 million was withdrawn from Kabachwamba’s…
Bukusu Constructors, the distributor of Coca-Cola products in Manafwa district, has been ordered to pay the beverage giant Shs 412 million for breach of contract. Their relationship started on September 30, 2023, when Coca-Cola appointed Bukusu Constructors as its official distributor in Manafwa district for a period of three years. Under this agreement, Bukusu was…
A family dispute over a multi-storied building in Kampala has ended in defeat for Justine Namulindwa, one of the four widows of the late Emmanuel Baguma, who had claimed that Baguma had gifted her the building. Baguma, a wealthy businessman, died on April 19, 2016, without a will. He had four wives, including Namulindwa. Among…
The High Court has found Equity Bank Uganda negligent after it released critical shipping documents without payment, causing an Indian exporter to lose over Shs 115 million in a botched international trade deal. In his ruling, Justice Stephen Mubiru of the Commercial Division of the High Court said the bank failed to follow clear instructions…
Thursday, March 21, 2024, appeared to be like any other ordinary working day for Susan Mwogelerwa. She woke up as usual and went to her workplace, Uganda Electricity Transmission Company Limited (UETCL), along Hannington Road in Nakasero, Kampala. At 9.00 am, she went into a meeting with colleagues and put forward her ideas like she…
Winnie Byanyima and her four siblings have opposed a move by businessman Capt John Kassami and lawyer Francis Bwengye to extend their control over the wealth and property left by their father, Boniface Byanyima. Capt Kassami and Bwengye, who Boniface chose as the executors of his wealth, had asked the court to renew a grant…
Amrita Nayer’s parents are wealthy and established one of the leading pharmaceutical companies, Surgipharm Uganda, where she works as a director. But her husband, Shivay Kundra, did not want to know any of this as he inflicted punches that ended their one-year marriage. Here is how it started. Nayer, a 29-year-old director at Surgipharm, married…
Parliament recently passed the Copyright and Neighbouring Rights (Amendment) Bill, 2025, triggering debate on social media platforms and other fora as to how the law will benefit creators of intellectual property. While the bill, which is yet to be assented to by the president, lists actors and other creatives, the major focus was on local…
The High Court has awarded the Hajj Kasule family of Wandegeya, Shs 30 million in costs in a land trespass case with businessman Haruna Sentongo. The dispute arises from alleged trespass on 0.12 hectares of land located on Block 12, Plot 101 in Mengo-Kisenyi, Kampala. The taxation application was filed by Isaac Kasule of Kasule,…
Peter Katongole worked for Airtel Uganda for 13 years, during which time he rose to the position of Revenue Assurance and Fraud Manager. In early 2020, Airtel began investigating suspected fraud in its mobile money commission system. In February 2020, Airtel’s Revenue Assurance Centre of Excellence (RACE) team based in India flagged suspicious commission payments….
Oscar Musinguzi worked at Crown Beverages’ Kakungulu plant off the Entebbe Express Way, as an operations supervisor for Nivana mineral water. He claims that the work was risky since it involved getting in close contact with ozone gas, a powerful, chemical-free oxidant used for water purification to rapidly destroy bacteria, viruses, and parasites. Yet Crown…
In October 2014, Arben Pajaziti, a Kampala businessman, agreed with Be Forward Ltd, a vehicle importation firm, to buy a car worth Shs 31 million. The vehicle was to be shipped to Kampala under cost, insurance, and freight (CIF) terms. Under the arrangement, Pajaziti paid the full purchase price. Another company, Cadam Enterprises, was tasked…
There was drama at Mwanga II Magistrate’s Court after a forensic expert admitted he had been in contact with one of the accused persons in the ongoing Pastor Robert Kayanja case. Court heard that Enock Kanene, a forensic expert, communicated with Israel Wasswa, a bodyguard to Pastor Jackson Ssenyonga, who is among eight suspects accused…
Bemuga Forwarders has been given 14 days to defend itself in a case in which its former managing director, Ronald Kanyerezi, entered a Shs 1.7 billion deal with a global logistics firm without the knowledge of its shareholders. Justice Patricia Kahigi Asiimwe said the case raises serious issues that must be fully heard in court…
The High Court has dissolved the marriage between Atukunda Annex and Martin Ikubor, a Nigerian businessman, after finding that the relationship had broken down due to cruelty, threats, and constant conflict. The couple had lived in Lubowa, a suburb for rich people, for 23 years. For years, according to court documents, Atukunda, who often described…
Katuramu & Company, a surveying firm, has been ordered to pay Centenary Bank Shs 521 million for misleading the bank into extending a loan to a client without conducting proper due diligence on the land offered as security. The case started in December 2021 when Hasifa Namulondo applied for a loan of Shs 350 million…
The High Court has dismissed a case filed by residents of Mulawa-Kawuku village in Kira Municipality who were seeking to stop the construction of a church in their neighbourhood. Justice Simon Peter Kinobe ruled that the case had no legal basis and described it as “frivolous and vexatious”. 16 applicants, led by Richard Ssebaggala, brought…
The Mwanga II court has halted an attempt by a suspect to record proceedings as a state digital forensic expert continued his testimony in the Pastor Robert Kayanja case. The incident occurred shortly after the witness, Enock Kanene, a certified digital forensic examiner attached to the Naguru Cyber Crime Department, took the stand. Chief state…
On July 29, 2020, The Observer newspaper published a story titled: “Racism charges, staff troubles hit the UN-FAO agency in Uganda.” The story was about Kathryn Clark, who was working as a food security and livelihood expert at the Food and Agriculture Organisation (FAO) in Uganda. She was described as someone who “left the Catholic…
On August 11, 2017, Fabrice Rulinda, the Entebbe mayor and PLU activist, received $73,000 ( about Shs 275 million) in his dollar account the dollar account at Stanbic’s Bugolobi branch. The money was deposited by a company called Green Global Corporation, which deals in gold. Suspicious, Stanbic Bank reversed the transaction and sent the money…
The public discourse generated by the recent decision in Downtown Investments Limited Vs Muwema & Co Advocates has caused more controversy than it has settled, especially about the concept of Option to purchase (OTP). The controversy is borne out of the courts’ decision to acknowledge the exercise of the OTP by the firm at plot…
The Industrial Court has ordered Ugafode Microfinance to pay Shs 18 million to its former employee, Peter Clever Katende, after ruling that the financial institution unfairly dismissed him. In his ruling, Justice Anthony Wabwire Musana dismissed an appeal filed by Ugafode and confirmed that Katende had been unfairly terminated. The dispute started after Katende, who…
Dr. Oscar Kambona, a founding partner at Kampala Associated Advocates (KAA), has warned that Uganda must strike a careful balance between aggressive tax collection and protecting citizens’ constitutional rights. Speaking during a lively online interview hosted by lawyer Elison Karuhanga on the JSC Conversations, Kambona talked about the growing powers of the taxman, the relationship…
The High Court has ordered a construction firm that was represented by Tumusiime, Kabega & Co. Advocates during a legal battle with DFCU to pay the law firm its legal fees. The law firm had asked the court to allow it to formally pursue payment of its legal fees after the company allegedly failed to…
Muwema & Co Advocates has declined a request by its landlord, Downtown Investments, to retrieve office equipment removed during a controversial eviction from its Kololo offices last week. In a letter dated March 11, 2026, and signed by its managing partner, Fred Muwema, the law firm insisted that the matter must be managed by police…
A long-running legal battle between Amos Murisa and Uganda Revenue Authority (URA) has taken a dramatic turn after the Supreme Court ruled that a missing signature on a judgment by Justice Alfonse Owiny-Dollo means the case has to be retried. At that time, Owiny-Dollo, then a deputy chief justice, was one of the judges who…
Zimba Logistics & Hardware has been ordered by the High Court to pay Uganda Baati Shs1.66 billion for construction materials supplied on credit. Justice Stephen Mubiru ruled that Zimba Logistics and its managing director, Ali Teko Awazi, are jointly responsible for the unpaid debt. He also found that Stanbic Bank breached its banking duty to…
On November 4, 2021, Yako Bank Uganda advanced Eliab Mugash a loan of Shs174 million, which was to run for two years. The loan attracted 20% interest per year, so by the end of the loan period, Mugash was expected to pay back a total of Shs212.4 million, which included both the borrowed money (principal)…
Letia Shamil Atabua was a student at Cavendish University in Uganda and often complained about being treated unfairly by some lecturers. In one semester, he was given four retakes out of six course units. So he started complaining and insisting loudly that he needed to see his examination papers for the course units he retook….
Shafik Walusimbi, who was kept at the Flying Squad’s detention facility in Kireka for more than a week, has been awarded Shs 10 million by the High Court. Justice Joyce Kavuma, who presided over the case, ordered the government to pay Walusimbi the money as compensation after finding that police detained him beyond the constitutional…
