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Industrial Court of Uganda

The Industrial Court was established under the Labour Disputes (Arbitration and Settlement) Act, 2006 Cap 224, Laws of Uganda, and section 7.  2006.

The Act was assentenced to on 24th May 2006; and commenced on the 07th August 2006 via a Ministerial statutory instrument.

The Court's jurisdiction ambit are labour disputes referred to it by a party to a dispute where a labour officer has failed to dispose of the dispute within 08 weeks under the court's regulations as requested under the act, disputes referred by the Labour officer at the request of the party or on the officer's own volition when is unable to resolve the dispute; or by responsible Minister on notice of an intended withdrawal of labour within 05 days. Appeals can also be filed against labour officers' decision under the Employment Act. The Court has no original jurisdiction over Labour disputes.

 

Physical address
Plot 25-27, off Martyr's way Ntinda. P.O.Box, 21456 Kampala.
Visit website
https://judiciary.go.ug/data/smenu/105//The%20Industrial%20Court.html
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9 judgments
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October 2025
Cornwell Muleya v Uganda National Airlines Company Limited (Labour Dispute Reference No.97 of 2022) [2025] UGIC 77 (24 October 2025)
Claimant unlawfully suspended and dismissed after an unproven ex parte disciplinary hearing; awarded severance, compensation and costs.
* Employment law – unfair dismissal – procedural fairness – requirement to serve clear notice of oral disciplinary hearing and to afford employee opportunity to be heard. * Employment law – suspension pending investigation – statutory four-week limitation; excessive suspension unlawful. * Employment law – substantive fairness – employer must prove allegations where dismissal follows ex parte disciplinary proceedings. * Remedies – reinstatement discretionary; where impracticable, severance, compensation for failure to afford hearing, general damages, gratuity, certificate of service and costs are available.
 24 October 2025
Peter Kiwanuka v Uganda Clays Limited (Labour Dispute Reference No.115 of 2020) [2025] UGIC 78 (24 October 2025)
Forced resignation without investigation or hearing constitutes unlawful dismissal, entitling the employee to damages.
Labour law – dismissal v termination – forced resignation as dismissal; procedural fairness – requirement of investigation, notice and hearing; substantive fairness – genuine belief and proof of misconduct; remedies – speculative future salary claims disallowed, general damages and statutory four weeks’ pay awarded; employer not liable for employee’s bank loan absent clear undertaking; workplace publications false but not defamatory without malice.
 24 October 2025
Opiyo Joseph Otiti v Plan International Uganda (Labour Dispute Miscellaneous Application No. 002 of 2025) [2025] UGIC 76 (17 October 2025)
An omnibus application seeking contempt damages, arrest warrants and garnishee relief was dismissed for lack of evidence and procedural defects.
Industrial Court procedure – omnibus application – procedural multifariousness; contempt – no prior finding and res judicata; pre-judgment attachment/garnishee nisi – high threshold and need for admissible evidence; authority of advocates – notice of change and instruction letter sufficient; advocate as witness – may give affidavit but should not act as counsel on contentious matters.
 17 October 2025
Itungo Simon and 12 Others v Kyagalanyi Coffee Limited (Labour Dispute Appeal No. 10 of 2024; Labour Dispute Miscellaneous Application No. 23 of 2025) [2025] UGIC 74 (14 October 2025)
A timely filed notice of appeal (not a later memorandum) commences an appeal to the Industrial Court; strike-out application dismissed.
* Labour law – Appeal from Labour Officer to Industrial Court – Appeal commenced by notice of appeal within 30 days under Regulation 45(1) ER (SI No. 61/2011) and Seventeenth Schedule. * Procedural law – Notice of appeal versus memorandum of appeal – timely notice validly commences appeal. * Civil procedure – Strike-out application – where appeal properly commenced, objections to later-filed memorandum do not justify striking out.
 14 October 2025
Stephen Kanyana v Kyambogo University (Miscellaneous Application No. 146 of 2025) [2025] UGIC 75 (14 October 2025)
Conditional stay of execution granted pending appeal upon deposit of security to balance applicant hardship and respondent protection.
* Stay of execution – Requirements under Order 43 r.4 CPR and relevant statutes: pending appeal, likelihood of success, prompt application, security for due performance. * Imminent execution – Self-executing decrees and risk of vacancy within 60 days. * Likelihood of success – Interlocutory assessment: not required to prove on balance but must show appeal is not frivolous; affidavit grounds may suffice. * Security – Court discretion to order partial deposit to protect respondent while avoiding undue hardship to applicant. * Labour justice – Equity and hardship balancing in stay applications involving employment-related housing benefits.
 14 October 2025
Aronda Barnabas v Uganda Revenue Authority (Labour Dispute Reference No.78 of 2023) [2025] UGIC 72 (10 October 2025)
Dismissal was unlawful for procedural and substantive unfairness; claimant awarded damages, severance, interest and certificate of service.
Employment law – dismissal for misconduct – procedural fairness: right to particulars, access to investigation report and hearing minutes; substantive fairness: employer’s genuine belief and proof on balance of probabilities; concurrent criminal and disciplinary processes permissible; remedies: declaration of unfair dismissal, monetary compensation, severance, interest, certificate of service, limited award of costs.
 10 October 2025
Katimbo Emmanuel Andrew v Centenary Rural Development Bank Limited and 2 Others (Labour Dispute Miscellaneous Application No. 138 of 2025) [2025] UGIC 73 (10 October 2025)
A dismissal effected before seeking interlocutory relief changes the status quo and defeats an injunction application.
Labour law – interlocutory injunctions in employment disputes; preservation of status quo; effect of summary dismissal on injunctive relief; delay and equitable discretion; mootness of applications overtaken by events.
 10 October 2025
Nakiwa Victoria v Nice House of Plastics (Labour Dispute No. 99 of 2021) [2025] UGIC 79 (10 October 2025)
Employer failed to follow statutory disciplinary procedure; dismissal found procedurally and substantively unlawful with monetary relief awarded.
* Employment law – unfair and unlawful dismissal – requirement for notice, particulars of allegations and right to a fair hearing (Employment Act ss. 65/67). * Investigative suspension – employer must produce suspension correspondence and investigation report before disciplinary decision. * Burden of proof – employer must prove negligence/gross misconduct on balance of probabilities with supporting evidence and records. * Remedies – payment in lieu of notice, severance (one month per year served), unpaid suspension pay, general and punitive damages, and interest. * Costs – no order as to costs in labour disputes absent exceptional circumstances.
 10 October 2025
Ruthra Agaba Kamukama v Uganda Broadcasting Corporation (Labour Dispute Reference 163 of 2021) [2025] UGIC 71 (3 October 2025)
Valid LO referral; claimant awarded general and exemplary damages for constructive dismissal; aggravated damages denied.
Labour law – constructive dismissal; Labour Officer referral to Industrial Court; entitlement to general and exemplary damages; mitigation and employability; costs in employment disputes; effect of consent order on subsequent damages claims.
 3 October 2025