Succession Act

The provisions in this Act shall constitute the law of Uganda for all cases of intestate or testamentary succession, subject to other provisions of this Act or any other law then in force.

This section provides definitions and interpretative rules for terms used in the Act.

A child's domicile of origin follows the domicile of the parent or guardian from whom the child derives it; if the parents have different domiciles, the child's domicile follows the parent who has custody.

A person may acquire their spouse's domicile upon marriage; a spouse may acquire another domicile upon dissolution, judicial separation, or other recognised separation.

A person cannot acquire a new domicile during minority, except as provided in section 13.

A mentally impaired person is prohibited from acquiring a new domicile except by following the domicile of another person.

If a person dies leaving movable property in Uganda and there is no proof they were domiciled elsewhere, succession to that movable property is governed by the laws of Uganda.

The law sets which country's law governs succession to a deceased person's immovable property in Uganda and movable property based on domicile, and defines when a person dying intestate is deemed domiciled in Uganda.

A person may have one domicile only for the purpose of succession to movable property.

The domicile of origin prevails until a new domicile has been acquired.

A person acquires a new domicile by taking up fixed habitation in a different country; residing in Uganda for work does not count as taking up fixed habitation.

A person may acquire a domicile in Uganda by depositing a written declaration in an office appointed by the Attorney General, provided they have been resident in Uganda for one year immediately before making the declaration.

Persons appointed as foreign representatives do not acquire domicile in the receiving country simply by residing there for their appointment, and persons residing with them as family or servants likewise do not acquire such domicile.

A new domicile continues until the former domicile has been resumed or another has been acquired.

Defines 'Kindred or consanguinity' as the connection or relation of persons descended from the same stock or common ancestor.

Defines "Lineal consanguinity" as the relationship between two persons where one is descended in a direct line from the other; states that each generation is a degree, ascending or descending.

Collateral consanguinity is the relationship between two persons who descend from the same ancestor but are not in a direct line from one another.

For succession, treat full-blood and half-blood relatives equally; treat those conceived but born alive as born during life; and make no distinction between male and female relatives.

Degrees of kinship are computed up to the sixth degree and are shown in the table of kindred in Schedule 2.

A person is considered to die intestate with respect to any property not disposed of by a valid testamentary disposition.

All property in an intestate estate devolves to the personal representative of the deceased to hold on trust for those entitled under the Act.

Members of the Defence Forces on expedition or engaged in actual warfare, and mariners at sea, may (if aged eighteen or over) dispose of their property by a will made as provided in section 53; such a will is called a “privileged will”.

Rules for how privileged wills may be made (written by the testator, written by another and signed or recognised, oral before witnesses, and conditions when unexecuted instructions count as a will).

Personal representatives must hold the deceased's principal residential holding in trust for the spouse and lineal descendants (subject to Schedule 3). On the surviving spouse's death, residential holdings devolve equally to lineal descendants. Evicting an entitled spouse or lineal descendant is an offence punishable by a fine up to 168 currency points or imprisonment up to seven years, or both.

Sets rules for dividing the estate of a person who dies intestate (subject to sections 25 and 26), specifying classes of beneficiaries (spouse, lineal descendants, dependent relatives, customary heir/heiress) and allocation percentages including a 20% portion held in trust for certain lineal descendants for education, maintenance and welfare.

Lineal descendants, spouses and dependent relatives of an intestate must share the intestate’s property (section 23(1)) equally; if an entitled lineal descendant predeceases the intestate their share passes to their own lineal descendant; an aggrieved person may challenge the administrator’s distribution in court.

A spouse or lineal descendant occupying a principal or other residential property under section 22 is not required to count that occupation when assessing their share of the intestate's property under section 23.

A surviving spouse who at the deceased's death was separated as a member of the same household must not take any interest in the intestate's estate, subject to listed exceptions; a court may, within six months after death for good cause, declare that the rule does not apply; children born of both spouses remain entitled to benefit.

If no person can be found who is entitled to an intestate’s property under sections 22–26, that property (or part of it) belongs to the State; if a rightful person later appears under section 23, the Attorney General may return the property or its proceeds.

When a child or a lineal descendant is entitled to a share of an intestate’s property, any money or other property the intestate gave to or for the advancement of that child must not be counted when estimating their share.

Adults of sound mind and not minors may make wills; spouses may hold and bequeath property; certain persons with impairments are capable of making wills if able; persons lacking requisite mental capacity (including due to drunkenness or illness) may not make wills.

A testator or testatrix must make reasonable provision for the maintenance of their spouse, child, a mentally or physically disabled lineal descendant, and dependent relatives.

The court may, on application, order that reasonable provision for maintenance be made out of the deceased’s estate for a spouse, lineal descendant or dependent relative when the deceased by will leaves no reasonable provision.

An application under section 31 must not be made after six months from the date representation is first taken out unless the court gives permission.

When an order under section 31 is made, the will is to have effect from the deceased’s death subject to variations specified in the order; orders providing for periodical maintenance payments may specify amounts or tie payments to income; the court may give consequential directions to implement such an order, but no larger part of the net estate shall be set aside than is sufficient to produce the required income at the date of the order.

The court may, on a late application after the period in section 32(1) has expired and only regarding property whose income is used to maintain a dependent, vary a previous maintenance order for reasons of nondisclosure or changed circumstances, or make provision for another dependent; applications may be made by dependents, trustees, or persons beneficially interested.

The court may order interim payments from the deceased’s estate for an applicant in immediate financial need, and the deceased’s personal representative is not liable for such payments from an insufficient estate unless they reasonably believed the estate was insufficient when paying.

A will or part of a will obtained by fraud, undue influence, duress, coercion, mistake of fact or by abuse of position of trust or vulnerability that takes away the free will of the testator or testatrix is void.

The maker of a will may revoke or alter the will at any time while competent to dispose of property by will.

A testator or testatrix may, at their discretion, use the form of will in Schedule 4 to this Act.

A parent may by will appoint a guardian for his or her child during minority.

If a parent of a minor dies and no guardian is appointed by will (or the appointed guardian is dead or refuses), specified relatives are to be guardians in a set order; if none are willing or entitled the court may appoint a guardian on application; only citizens of Uganda are eligible.

Family members of a minor may appoint a customary guardian for the minor under the family's customs when parents are dead/untraceable, the surviving parent is incapable or ineligible, or the minor has no guardian.

Guardians must act jointly with the surviving parent unless a court directs otherwise; guardians and parents may apply to court; a guardian may appoint a successor by will; a person appointed must apply to court before taking up guardianship; eligibility requires being over eighteen and a citizen of Uganda.

The court has the power to remove a guardian if satisfied of specified grounds; any person may apply to the High Court to remove a guardian; when removing a guardian the court must appoint another guardian.

A guardian must apply to court to exercise specified powers, safeguard and account for a minor's property, may have custody and dispose of the minor's property, and misappropriation is an offence with fines, imprisonment and restitution.

When guardianship of a minor ends, the property managed by the guardian vests in specified persons depending on the reason for termination.

Part VIII of the Children Act applies to the grant, revocation and exercise of the powers of a guardian appointed under this Act; if this Act conflicts with the Children Act on appointment, revocation or exercise of powers of a guardian, the Children Act provisions prevail.

Non-military and non-mariner testators must execute unprivileged wills by signing (or directing another to sign) and having the will attested by two or more witnesses who sign and write their name and address on every page; limited exceptions apply.

If a will refers to another written document expressing part of the testator's intentions, that document is treated as part of the will or codicil.

A legatee who attests a codicil that confirms the will does not lose the legacy.

A person who has an interest in a will or is an executor is not disqualified from being a witness to prove the execution or validity of a will; however, that person (except an advocate) must not participate in writing or preparing the will.

A testator's marriage revokes his or her will, with a specific exception for wills made by exercise of a power of appointment where the property would not otherwise pass to the testator's personal representative or intestacy heir.

An unprivileged will or codicil cannot be revoked except by marriage, by another will or codicil, by a written declaration of intention to revoke executed as required for an unprivileged will, or by burning, tearing, or otherwise destroying it by the testator or by someone in the testator’s presence and at their direction with intent to revoke.

Alterations made to an unprivileged will after its execution have no effect unless the alteration is executed in the same manner as required for executing the will, with specified exceptions for certain signatures and witness subscriptions.

A privileged will or codicil may be revoked by the testator or testatrix, by an unprivileged will or codicil, by an act with the formalities required for a privileged will, or by destruction (burning, tearing, etc.) by the testator or by someone acting in the testator's presence and at their direction.

An unprivileged will or codicil that has been revoked cannot be revived except by re-execution or by a codicil executed in the required manner that shows intention to revive it.

Wording of a will need not use technical words; the wording only needs to make the testator's intentions knowable.

A court must investigate all material facts needed to determine which persons or which property are referred to in a will.

If the words in a will sufficiently show who is meant, an error in a legatee's name or description does not stop the legacy; a wrong name may be corrected by a description and a wrong description may be corrected by the name.

If a word necessary to the meaning has been omitted, the context may supply that word.

If parts of a description in a will are erroneous but the intended thing can still be identified, the erroneous parts are rejected and the bequest takes effect.

If a will describes the thing to be bequeathed by several circumstances, and there is property in respect of which all those circumstances exist, the bequest is limited to that property and no part of the description may be rejected as erroneous because the testator had other property to which that part does not apply.

If the words of a will are unambiguous but extrinsic evidence shows multiple possible applications and only one could have been intended, extrinsic evidence may be used to identify which application the testator intended.

If a will shows an ambiguity or deficiency on its face, extrinsic evidence about the testator's intentions shall not be admitted.

The meaning of any clause in a will must be taken from the whole document, its parts construed with reference to each other, and a codicil counts as part of the will.

General words in a will may be read narrowly or more broadly depending on the rest of the will.

When a clause can reasonably be read in two ways, prefer the meaning that gives the clause effect rather than the meaning that gives it no effect.

A will's part must not be treated as meaningless if a reasonable construction can be given to it.

If the same words appear in different parts of the same will, they must be taken to have been used everywhere in the same sense, unless there appears an intention to the contrary.

Give effect to the testator's or testatrix's intention as far as possible even if it cannot be fully carried out.

If two clauses or gifts in a will cannot stand together, the later one takes precedence.

A will or bequest that is not expressive of any definite intention is void for uncertainty.

A description in a will refers to the property that matches that description at the death of the testator or testatrix, unless the will indicates a contrary intention.

A general bequest in a will is interpreted to include property the testator could appoint by will, and such a bequest operates as execution of that power.

If a will gives a power to appoint beneficiaries but no appointment is made and the power is not exercised, the property vests in all objects of the power equally.

If a bequest is made to the heirs (or similar class) of a particular person without qualifying terms and that class is the direct and independent object of the bequest, the property bequeathed is to be distributed as if it had belonged to that person who died intestate in respect of it.

If a bequest is made to the “representatives” (or similar terms) of a particular person and that class is the direct and independent object of the bequest, the property shall be distributed as if it had belonged to that person and they had died intestate in respect of it.

Where property is bequeathed to any person, that person is entitled to the whole interest of the testator or testatrix in the property unless the will shows only a restricted interest was intended.

If a will gives a legacy to one person and alternatively to another or a class, the first-named legatee is entitled to it if alive when it takes effect; if that legatee is dead then the second branch takes the legacy, unless the will shows a contrary intention.

If property is left to a person and words describing a class are added but not as a separate gift, that person is entitled to the testator's whole interest in the property unless the will shows a contrary intention.

If a bequest is to a class described generally, anyone to whom that general description does not in ordinary sense apply shall not receive the legacy.

Defines terms used in wills (for example, 'child', 'grandchild', 'descendants', 'nephew' and 'niece') and specifies who counts as related persons, including persons of full or half blood and those conceived before death and subsequently born alive.

When a will appears to make two bequests to the same person and the will does not show the testator's intention, the section sets rules to determine which bequest(s) the legatee is entitled to receive.

A residuary legatee can be created by words showing the testator's intention that that person shall take the surplus or residue of the testator's property.

Under a residuary bequest, the legatee is entitled to all property of the testator or testatrix at death not otherwise disposed of by a testamentary disposition capable of taking effect.

A legatee acquires a vested interest in a general legacy from the day the testator dies; if the legatee dies before receiving it, the legacy passes to their representatives.

If a legatee does not outlive the testator, the legacy lapses into the residue unless the will directs it elsewhere; representatives can only receive the legacy if it is proved the legatee survived the testator.

If a legacy is given to two people jointly and one dies before the testator, the surviving legatee takes the whole legacy.

If a legacy is given in words showing the testator intended distinct shares, and a legatee dies before the testator, the portion intended for that legatee shall fall into the residue of the testator's property.

If a lapsed share is part of the general residue given by the will, that share becomes undisposed of.

If a bequest is made to a child or other lineal descendant who dies before the testator but a lineal descendant of that legatee survives the testator, the bequest does not lapse and takes effect as if the legatee died immediately after the testator.

If a bequest is made to one person for the benefit of another, the legacy does not lapse if the legatee dies during the testator's lifetime.

If a bequest is made to a described class, only those of that class alive at the testator's death take the bequest; where possession is deferred, it goes to those alive at the later time and to representatives of those who died since the testator's death.

A direction to accumulate income from property is void, except that for immovable property or where accumulation is directed from the testator's death it is valid only for income arising within one year after death, after which the property and income are disposed of as if the accumulation period had elapsed.

People who have a nephew, niece or any nearer relative are prohibited from bequeathing property to religious or charitable uses except by a will executed at least twelve months before their death and deposited within six months of execution in a lawful custody place for wills.

A bequest described by a particular description is void if no person answering that description exists at the testator's death; however, if possession is deferred and a person answering the description is alive at death or comes into existence before the later time, the property will then go to that person or their representatives.

If a bequest is made to a person not in existence at the testator's death and it is subject to an earlier bequest in the will, the later bequest is void unless it comprises the whole of the testator's remaining interest in the thing bequeathed.

A bequest is invalid if its vesting can be delayed beyond the lifetime of people alive when the testator dies and beyond the minority of a person who exists at the end of that period, even if that person later attains full age.

If a bequest is made to a class of persons and it is inoperative as to some members by reason of sections 96 or 97, the bequest is wholly void.

If a bequest in a will is void because of section 96, 97 or 98, any subsequent bequest in the same will intended to take effect after or on failure of that prior bequest is also void.

If a will postpones possession, the legatee's right to receive the bequest vests at the death of the testator unless the will shows a contrary intention; if the legatee dies before receiving it, the right passes to the legatee's representatives.

A legacy conditioned on an uncertain event does not vest until the event occurs; if bequeathed 'in case' an event shall not happen, it does not vest until the event becomes impossible; income given before attainment of a specified age does not make the fund contingent.

A person who has not attained the specified age cannot have a vested interest in the legacy.

A legatee must accept an onerous bequest fully in order to take anything from it.

If a will gives two separate and independent bequests to the same person, the legatee may accept one and refuse the other.

Executors or administrators who misapply estate assets, fail to account for proceeds, or cause loss or damage commit an offence and on conviction face a fine up to one thousand currency points or up to three years' imprisonment; the court must also order restitution.

An executor, executrix, administrator or administratrix who by neglect causes loss to an estate or beneficiary commits an offence punishable by a fine (up to one thousand currency points), imprisonment (three years), or both; the court may also order restitution for the loss or damage.

A person acting on behalf of a beneficiary must not take any part of the beneficiary's interest in the estate as payment; contravention is an offence punishable by a fine up to one hundred twenty currency points or imprisonment up to five years, or both.

The Attorney General has the power, by statutory order (retrospectively or prospectively), to exempt classes of persons in Uganda from the whole or part of this Act; the Attorney General also has power to revoke such orders but the revocation cannot have retrospective effect.

Section Surrender of revoked probate or letters of administration Section When a grant of probate or letters of administration is revoked or annulled under this Act, the person to whom the grant was made shall forthwith deliver up the

This Act does not affect distribution or intestacy provisions in regulations made under the Uganda Peoples’ Defence Forces Act.

The Attorney General may, by statutory instrument, appoint additional places for safe custody of wills of living persons; the offices of the Chief Registrar and Deputy Registrar of the High Court are appointed places for that purpose.

The Chief Justice may make rules, with the Attorney General's approval, about fees and formalities for depositing or withdrawing wills and other matters to carry this Act into effect.

Sections 30–33 apply to every will made on or after 26 January 1971.

The Minister may, by statutory instrument and with Cabinet approval, amend Schedule 1 to this Act.

Grants of probate or letters of administration issued before 31 May 2022 remain in force for fixed periods (three years generally, five years if issued to the Administrator General); executors or administrators may apply to the court to extend those durations; Section 47(1)(c) does not apply to wills made before 31 May 2022.

A bequest that depends on an uncertain event only takes effect if that event happens before the fund is payable or distributable.

If a will leaves a bequest to those of certain persons surviving at an unspecified period, the legacy goes to those alive when payment or distribution occurs unless the will shows a contrary intention.

A bequest upon an impossible condition is void.

A bequest upon a condition the fulfilment of which would be contrary to law or to morality is void.

If a will imposes a condition before a legatee takes a vested interest, that condition is treated as fulfilled if it has been substantially complied with.

If a bequest to a first person fails, a later bequest of the same thing to another takes effect upon that failure even if the failure did not occur in the manner contemplated by the testator or testatrix.

If a will makes a second bequest conditional on the first bequest failing in a particular way, the second bequest does not take effect unless the first fails in that particular way.

A person may make a bequest subject to a superadded condition that if a specified uncertain event happens (or does not happen) the bequest will pass to another person.

An ulterior bequest cannot take effect unless the condition is strictly fulfilled.

If the ulterior bequest is not valid, the original bequest is not affected.

A bequest may be made subject to a condition that it ceases to have effect if a specified uncertain event happens or does not happen.

A condition that makes a bequest cease to have effect is valid only if the event on which it depends could legally constitute such a condition as contemplated by section 103.

If a legatee takes any step that makes required performance impossible or indefinitely postpones it when no time is fixed, the legacy transfers as if the legatee had died without performing the act.

A legatee must perform an act required by a will within the specified time unless fraud prevents performance, in which case additional time is allowed to compensate for the delay caused by the fraud.

If a will bequeaths a fund but directs it be applied or enjoyed in a particular manner, the legatee is nonetheless entitled to receive the fund as if that direction were not in the will.

If a will directs restricted enjoyment to secure a benefit but that benefit cannot be obtained, the fund belongs to the legatee as if no restriction had been made.

If a testator gives a fund for specified purposes and part of those purposes cannot be fulfilled, the unspent portion remains part of the testator's estate.

A person named as executor or executrix does not take a legacy bequeathed to them unless they prove the will or manifest an intention to act as executor or executrix.

A legacy that gives a specified, distinguishable part of a person's property is called a 'specific' legacy.

A pecuniary legacy (a sum certain) is not made specific just because the will describes the stocks, funds or securities in which the sum is invested.

A general bequest of a quantity of stock is not a specific legacy merely because the testator owned an equal or greater amount of that kind of stock at the date of the will.

A legacy of money is not treated as a specific bequest solely because the will postpones payment until some of the testator's property is converted to a form or remitted to a place.

If a will contains a residuary bequest together with an enumeration of items not previously bequeathed, the enumerated articles are not to be regarded as specifically bequeathed.

When property is specifically bequeathed to two or more persons in succession, the property must be retained in the form in which the testator left it.

If property in a bequest to two or more successive persons is not specifically bequeathed it shall be sold, the proceeds invested in securities authorised or directed by the High Court, and the resulting fund enjoyed by the successive legatees according to the will.

A specific legacy does not abate to make up for a deficiency of assets for general legacies.

Defines the distinction between a specific legacy and a demonstrative legacy: a demonstrative legacy is a bequest of money or other commodity directed to be paid out of a particular fund or stock, whereas a specific legacy gives specified property to the legatee.

If part of a fund is specifically bequeathed, that portion must be paid to the legatee first; a demonstrative legacy is paid from the residue of the fund, and if the residue is deficient, from the testator's general assets.

If a specifically bequeathed item is not owned by the testator at death or has been converted into a different kind of property, the legacy is adeemed and cannot take effect.

A demonstrative legacy is not adeemed if the charged property does not exist at the testator's death or has been converted; it must be paid from the testator's general assets.

If a specific bequest is a right to receive something from a third party and the testator receives that thing, the bequest is adeemed.

If the testator or testatrix receives part of a thing specifically bequeathed, that receipt operates as an ademption of the legacy to the extent of the amount received.

If a specifically bequeathed portion of a fund or stock is received by the testator, that receipt operates as an ademption only up to the amount received.

If a portion of a fund is specifically bequeathed to one legatee and a legacy charged on the same fund is bequeathed to another, the specific legacy is paid first; the remainder of the fund is applied to the demonstrative legacy so far as it will extend, and any remaining demonstrative legacy is paid from the testator's general assets.

If stock that was specifically bequeathed does not exist at the testator's death, the legacy is adeemed.

If stock specifically bequeathed exists only in part when the testator dies, the legacy is adeemed for the part that no longer exists.

A specific bequest of goods described as connected with a particular place is not adeemed if the goods have been removed from that place by a temporary cause, by fraud, or without the testator's knowledge or sanction.

If a thing bequeathed is removed from the place named in the will, that removal does not amount to ademption when the place is mentioned only to complete the description of the bequest.

If the testator receives money or other commodity from a third person (rather than a right), that receipt does not adeem the legacy unless the testator mixes it with the general mass of his or her property.

If a specifically bequeathed thing changes by operation of law or in executing the legal instrument under which it was held between the will's date and the testator's death, the legacy is not adeemed by that change.

If a specifically bequeathed thing changes between the will and the testator's death without the testator's knowledge or sanction, the legacy is not adeemed.

If stock that was specifically bequeathed is lent to a third party on condition it will be replaced, and it is replaced, the legacy is not adeemed.

If stock specifically bequeathed is sold and an equal quantity of the same stock is later purchased and belongs to the testator at death, the legacy is not adeemed.

If specifically bequeathed property is subject to a pledge, lien or encumbrance created by the testator (or by someone he/she claims under), then unless the will shows a contrary intention, a legatee who accepts the bequest takes it subject to that pledge or encumbrance and is liable to make good the amount to the estate.

Costs of completing the title to a bequeathed item are to be borne by the estate of the testator or testatrix.

When a bequest includes an interest in immovable property that requires periodic payments like land revenue or rent, the testator's estate must pay those payments or a proportion of them up to the day of the testator's death, as between the estate and the legatee.

Calls or payments due at the testator's death on stock in a joint stock company are to be paid by the estate; calls that become due after death are to be paid by the legatee if the legatee accepts the bequest.

If a bequest is described in general terms, the executor or executrix must purchase for the legatee what reasonably answers that description.

If a will bequeaths the interest or produce of a fund to a person and gives no indication that enjoyment is limited, both the principal and the interest belong to the legatee.

An executor or administrator of a deceased person is their legal representative for all purposes, and the deceased's property vests in that executor or administrator.

If a will proved in a foreign court is produced as a properly authenticated copy, letters of administration may be granted with that copy annexed.

Probate may be granted only to an executor or executrix appointed by the will.

If a testator who is survived only by a child appoints that child's guardian and did not expressly appoint an executor, the guardian so appointed becomes the executor or executrix of the will.

Probate must not be granted to a minor or to a person who has a mental illness; the court has discretion to determine fitness and may defer appointment of an executor or refuse to grant probate.

If several executors or executrixes are appointed, probate may be granted to all of them simultaneously or at different times.

If a codicil is found after probate has been granted, a separate probate may be granted for that codicil to the executor or executrix, unless the codicil appoints different executors, in which case the original probate is revoked and a new probate of the will and codicil is granted together.

If multiple executors are granted probate and one dies, the surviving executor(s) get the entire representation of the testator.

A court will not establish any right as executor, executrix or legatee unless a Ugandan court has granted probate of the will or has granted letters of administration under section 177.

When probate of a will is granted, it establishes the will from the testator's death and validates all intermediate acts of the executor or executrix.

Letters of administration must not be granted to minors or persons with a mental illness; the court may assess fitness and defer or refuse appointments.

A court shall not establish any right to part of a deceased person’s property if they died intestate unless letters of administration have first been granted by a court of competent jurisdiction, subject to section 4 of the Administrator General’s Act.

Letters of administration entitle the administrator or administratrix to all rights belonging to the intestate.

Letters of administration do not render valid any intermediate acts of the administrator or administratrix that tend to diminish or damage the intestate’s estate.

If one or more executors have proved a will, the court may grant letters of administration on the death of the survivor without citing those who have not proved.

A person may renounce (orally before certain officials or by signed writing); if they renounce, they are thereafter precluded from applying for probate of the will that appointed them executor.

If an executor renounces or fails to accept within the time allowed, the will may be proved and letters of administration with a copy of the will annexed may be granted to the person entitled to administration on intestacy.

Grant of administration to universal or residuary legatee

If a residuary legatee who would inherit survives the testator but dies before administration is complete, that legatee's representative is entitled to administer the estate with the will annexed.

If there is no executor or residuary legatee (or they decline, are incapable, or cannot be found), those entitled to administer the estate, any other legatee with a beneficial interest, or the Administrator General may be admitted to prove the will and may be granted letters of administration.

Letters of administration with the will annexed must not be granted to any legatee other than a universal or residuary legatee until a citation calling on the spouse and lineal descendants to accept or refuse letters of administration has been issued and published.

If a person dies intestate, people connected to the deceased by marriage or by consanguinity are entitled to obtain letters of administration of the estate and effects.

Administration shall be granted to the person entitled to the greatest proportion of the estate under section 23, subject to section 4 of the Administrator General’s Act and section 199 of this Act.

The surviving spouse has priority over any other person to administer the estate of a deceased intestate.

Administration shall not be granted to any relative if there is some other relative or an appointed customary heir or heiress entitled to a greater proportion of the estate until a citation has been issued and published calling on that other relative or heir or heiress to accept or refuse letters of administration.

If two or more people have the same share of an estate, they are equally entitled to administer it.

Persons equally related to the deceased are equally entitled to administration.

When there is no person connected with the deceased by marriage or consanguinity who is entitled to letters of administration and willing to act, administration may be granted to a creditor.

If the deceased left property in Uganda, letters of administration shall be granted according to the foregoing provisions even if the deceased was domiciled in a country whose succession law differs from Uganda's.

A legatee named in a will is entitled to receive an annuity for life only, unless the will shows a contrary intention; the entitlement is not affected by directing payment from the general property or by bequeathing money for purchasing the annuity.

When a will directs an annuity (or money to buy one) for a person, on the testator's death the legacy vests in the legatee, who is entitled to choose between having an annuity purchased or receiving the money set aside for that purpose.

If the estate cannot pay all legacies, a bequeathed annuity is reduced pro rata with other pecuniary legacies under the will.

If there is both a gift of an annuity and a residuary gift, the entire annuity must be paid before any part of the residue is paid; if necessary, the estate capital shall be applied to satisfy the annuity.

If a debtor leaves a legacy to their creditor and the will does not show it is intended to satisfy the debt, the creditor is entitled to both the legacy and the debt amount.