Court rules on Nakivubo drowning, Northern Bypass Shs 11.3bn claim

What the report says

The Observer reports that Uganda’s High Court has issued several notable rulings, including a long-running case over the death of street vendor Olive Basemera in Kampala’s Nakivubo drainage channel. Justice Boniface Wamala found that Kampala Capital City Authority officers were not proven to have chased her into the open drain during an enforcement operation nearly a decade ago, but held that KCCA still bore some responsibility for failing to protect the public from the danger. The court said Basemera was partly at fault as well, and awarded compensation to her dependants, subject to a reduction for contributory negligence.

In a separate dispute, the court dismissed an Italian contractor’s claim for Shs 11.3 billion and euros linked to the Kampala Northern Bypass project. According to the report, Justice Stephen Mubiru concluded that the sums being sought had already been addressed through earlier arbitration and a settlement process, and that the company had not completed the final account steps required under the contract. The case involved Salini Constructori SpA, the government and the Uganda National Roads Authority.

The Observer also said former Mukono District Speaker Betty Hope Nakasi was remanded on corruption charges linked to an alleged demand for money in exchange for influence over a promotion, while another judge ordered Stanbic Bank Uganda to reverse a $41,541 transfer sent to the wrong account after finding it was an accounting error. Taken together, the rulings highlight how Ugandan courts are handling civil liability, public procurement disputes and alleged corruption cases.