Uganda Case Law

Kimbugwe v Bazira (Revision Cause 6 of 2021)

Kimbugwe v Bazira (Revision Cause 6 of 2021) [2025] UGHC 199 (18 April 2025)

Court

High Court of Uganda

Case number

Revision Cause 6 of 2021

Judge

Tweyanze, J

The Byakabanda LCII Court was not legally constituted, as its members were not elected by the Electoral Commission following the constitutional amendment to a multiparty system. This jurisdictional defect rendered the LCII Court's proceedings, judgment, and orders null and void ab initio. The High Court, exercising its inherent supervisory jurisdiction under Section 98 of the Civil Procedure Act and Article 139(1) of the Constitution, set aside the LCII Court's decision. Statutory jurisdiction under the Local Council Courts Act presupposes a legally constituted court, which was absent in this…

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• Jurisdiction Of Local Council Courts
• Constitutionality Of Lc Courts
• Customary Land Disputes

Mugisha & 7 Others v Ndyahabwa

Mugisha & 7 Others v Ndyahabwa (Miscellaneous Application 59 of 2020) [2025] UGHC 74 (27 February 2025)

Court

High Court of Uganda

Case number

Miscellaneous Application 59 of 2020

Judge

Joyce Kavuma, J

The High Court dismissed a revision application challenging a Magistrate Grade One’s jurisdiction, holding the plaint was properly amended to state a value within limits.

• Pecuniary Jurisdiction
• Revision Of Magistrate Decisions
• Customary Land Disputes
• Preliminary Objection
• Contempt Of Court
• Pecuniary-jurisdiction

Onyango & 4 Others v Odongo & 5 Others

Onyango & 4 Others v Odongo & 5 Others (Miscellaneous Application 79 of 2023) [2024] UGHC 1119 (27 December 2024)

Court

High Court of Uganda

Case number

Miscellaneous Application 79 of 2023

Judge

Philip W Mwaka

High Court application for stay of execution pending appeal was dismissed after the court found no imminent threat of execution or sufficient cause.

• Stay Of Execution
• Appeals Process
• Customary Land Disputes
• Representative Actions
• Stay-of-execution
• Appeals-process

Mugema and Another v Mugisa and Another (Revision Application 2 of 2021)

Mugema and Another v Mugisa and Another (Revision Application 2 of 2021) [2024] UGHC 883 (23 August 2024)

Court

High Court of Uganda

Case number

Revision Application 2 of 2021

Judge

Byaruhanga Rugyema, J

The Chief Magistrate acted with material irregularity and injustice by condemning the applicants to pay costs in an appeal that was dismissed as incompetent, especially since the applicants were not parties to the original suit in the lower L.C. III Court. The award of costs was improper and occasioned a miscarriage of justice. The High Court, exercising its revisionary jurisdiction under Section 83 CPA, set aside the order for costs and substituted it with an order that each party bears its own costs, as neither party should be condemned for errors committed by the court itself.

Source excerpt

• Revisionary Jurisdiction
• Costs Award
• Party Status
• Customary Land Disputes

Komakech v Oroma & 3 Others

Komakech v Oroma & 3 Others (Miscellaneous Application 43 of 2024) [2024] UGHC 742 (16 August 2024)

Court

High Court of Uganda

Case number

Miscellaneous Application 43 of 2024

Judge

Mwaka, J

The High Court refused leave to amend a plaint, finding the proposed changes obscured a prior suit by the applicant’s late father and were not made in good faith.

• Amendment Of Pleadings
• Gift Inter Vivos
• Customary Land Disputes
• Judicial Discretion
• Bad Faith In Pleadings
• Amendment-of-pleadings

Okello v Kibeti

Okello v Kibeti (Miscellaneous Application 6 of 2023) [2024] UGHC 662 (12 July 2024)

Court

High Court of Uganda

Case number

Miscellaneous Application 6 of 2023

Judge

Adonyo, J

The High Court held it lacked jurisdiction to revise LC II and LC III decisions and ordered the application forwarded to the Chief Magistrate’s Court.

• Supervisory Jurisdiction
• Revision Of Local Council Court Decisions
• Jurisdiction Of High Court
• Customary Land Disputes
• Supervisory-jurisdiction
• Revision-of-local-council-court-decisions

Anetcho v Beneya and 15 Others

Anetcho v Beneya and 15 Others (Civil Revision 2 of 2018) [2024] UGHC 501 (12 March 2024)

Court

High Court of Uganda

Case number

Civil Revision 2 of 2018

Judge

Oyuko Anthony Ojok, J

The High Court dismissed an application to revise a magistrate’s land ruling, holding there was no illegal exercise of jurisdiction or material irregularity.

• Revision Of Magistrate Decision
• Res Judicata
• Locus In Quo Procedure
• Customary Land Disputes
• Civil-revision
• Res-judicata

Olanya & Another v Ladur & Another

Olanya & Another v Ladur & Another (Miscellaneous Application 134 of 2024) [2024] UGHC 1195 (20 February 2024)

Court

High Court of Uganda

Case number

Miscellaneous Application 134 of 2024

Judge

Phillip Odoki, J

The High Court in Gulu dismissed an application to adduce additional evidence on appeal, holding that the applicants had deliberately withheld the title deed and that it was not needed to decide the appeal.

• Admission Of Additional Evidence
• Appellate Procedure
• Customary Land Disputes
• Jurisdiction Of Trial Court
• Additional-evidence-on-appeal
• Civil-appeals

Olanya and Another v Ladur and Another

Olanya and Another v Ladur and Another (Miscellaneous Application 134 of 2024) [2024] UGHC 1201 (20 February 2024)

Court

High Court of Uganda

Case number

Miscellaneous Application 134 of 2024

Judge

Phillip Odoki, J

The High Court at Gulu dismissed an application to adduce a certificate of title as additional evidence on appeal, finding the evidence was within the applicants’ knowledge and irrelevant to the customary-land dispute.

• Adduction Of Additional Evidence
• Appellate Procedure
• Customary Land Disputes
• Certificate Of Title
• Jurisdiction Of Trial Court
• Additional-evidence

Luvule Ronald v Kisirivu Richard (Revision Cause 24 of 2023)

Luvule Ronald v Kisirivu Richard (Revision Cause 24 of 2023) [2024] UGHCLD 38 (15 February 2024)

Court

HC: Land Division (Uganda)

Case number

Revision Cause 24 of 2023

Judge

Naluzze Aisha Batala, J

The High Court found that the Local Council III Court of Katabi Town Council lacked original jurisdiction to hear the land dispute as a court of first instance. The Local Council Courts Act and its regulations require that all civil suits, including those relating to land, be filed initially in the Village Local Council Court. The LC III Court's exercise of original jurisdiction was therefore a material irregularity, rendering its decision and orders a nullity. The court further held that the existence of a certificate of title under the Registration of Titles Act conferred conclusive ownersh…

Source excerpt

• Local Council Court Jurisdiction
• Land Title Registration
• Customary Land Disputes
• Appellate Procedure