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Supreme Court of Uganda

The Supreme Court of Uganda is the highest judicial organ in Uganda. It derives powers from Article 130 of the 1995 constitution. It is primarily an appellate court with original jurisdiction in only one type of case: a presidential election petition.

The Supreme Court is headed by the chief justice nd has ten other justices. The quorum required for a court decision varies depending on the type of case under consideration. When hearing a constitutional appeal, the required quorum is seven justices. In a criminal or a civil appeal, only five justices are required for a quorum.

 

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Plot M105, Kinawataka Road, Mbuya 1, Kampala, Uganda
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http://www.judiciary.go.ug/data/smenu/7/Supreme
7 judgments
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7 judgments
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August 2025
National Forestry Authority v Robert Wayeba (Miscellaneous Application No. 12 of 2025) [2025] UGSC 34 (29 August 2025)
An interim stay of execution was granted to preserve the status quo pending determination of a substantive stay application and appeal.
Civil procedure – stay of execution – interim orders – requirements for grant of interim stay – application to Supreme Court without prior application to Court of Appeal – consideration of imminent threat of execution and the interests of justice – preservation of status quo pending appeal.
 29 August 2025
Tushabe Chris v Cooperative Bank Ltd (Civil Appeal No. 17 of 2018) [2025] UGSC 35 (29 August 2025)
Second appeal: consent reconciliation mitigated loss; general damages increased to UGX 300,000,000; interest on admitted debt properly runs from 19 May 1999.
Banking law — customer–bank relationship — wrongful debit/overdraft — consent reconciliation — special vs general damages — appellate review of damages — interest on admitted debts — costs follow event unless discretion injudiciously exercised.
 29 August 2025
Twinomuhangi Dominic v Uganda (Criminal Appeal No. 28 of 2022) [2025] UGSC 40 (20 August 2025)
Supreme Court dismissed appeal: conviction challenge was improper and sentence challenge amounted to a prohibited appeal against severity.
Criminal law – Second appeal – scope limited to issues before Court of Appeal; abandonment of grounds – conviction challenge improper when abandoned at first appellate stage; Sentencing – appeals against severity restricted by s.5(3) Judicature Act; Prisons Act administrative, does not prescribe maximum penalties; 30-year sentence for murder not illegal as below statutory maximum.
 20 August 2025
Hezekiah Mukiibi and Another v Commissioner Land Registration and Another (Civil Appeal No. 02 of 2024) [2025] UGSC 52 (19 August 2025)
Commissioner cannot cancel title for alleged fraud; fraud and competing ownership require High Court trial.
Land law – Registrar/Commissioner powers under s.88 (formerly s.91) Land Act – limits to correcting ‘errors’ and ‘illegalities’; fraud and competing title disputes require High Court trial under the Registration of Titles Act; judicial review addresses decision-making process not merits; procedural fairness (service/hearing) in administrative cancellations; effectiveness of service by registered post; sub judice is not a standalone ground for judicial review; appeal against private transferee incompetent where not properly joined.
 19 August 2025
Vincent Ssenyonjo v Uganda (Criminal Appeal No. 58 of 2020) [2025] UGSC 39 (15 August 2025)
An appeal framed as inconsistency with precedent that seeks a lower sentence is barred as a disguised challenge to severity under section 5(3).
Criminal law – Sentencing – Limits of second appeals under section 5(3) Judicature Act – Appeals on severity of sentence excluded – Consistency/equality in sentencing is a guiding principle but cannot be used to transform a disguised challenge to harshness into a justiciable point of law – Court will interfere only for illegality or misapplication of principle (e.g., failure to deduct remand time, sentence exceeding statutory maximum).
 15 August 2025
No. 19515 Sgt. Solomon Nkojo v Uganda (Criminal Appeal No. 2 of 2022) [2025] UGSC 31 (6 August 2025)
The court upheld murder and attempted murder convictions but found procedural errors in the sentence enhancement.
Criminal Law – Murder – Malice aforethought – Attempted murder – Enhancement of sentence – Procedural error in sentencing
 6 August 2025
Wampa Faziri and Others v Uganda (Criminal Appeal 54 of 2019) [2025] UGSC 30 (6 August 2025)
The Supreme Court quashed four murder convictions for insufficient identification and improper burden of proof, affirming only one conviction with a revised, legal sentence.
Criminal law – identification evidence – reliability – visual identification in poor lighting – risk of mistaken identity – burden of proof – defence of alibi – prosecution’s duty to disprove alibi – sentencing – deduction for time spent on remand – legality of sentence – common intention – reversal of burden of proof.
 6 August 2025