Executing a contract in Uganda: checklist
Pending verification: Whether the specific contract requires witnessing/attestation, and the exact stamp duty item, should be confirmed for the document type. Treat the flagged points as provisional and confirm them before relying on them.
In brief
How a contract is signed affects whether it binds. This checklist covers execution by individuals and companies, witnessing and stamping.
Who it's for & when to use it
Who it's for: Parties finalising a contract and their advisers.
When to use it: At signing, to make execution valid.
When not to use it: As a substitute for advice on deeds or registrable instruments.
The checklist
1. Confirm authority
- Confirm each signatory has authority to bind their party; for a company, check the articles and any board resolution.
2. Sign correctly
- Each party (or an authorised signatory) signs every copy.
- Use witnesses where the document or prudence requires it.
3. Company execution
- A company executes per its articles — commonly by directors or under seal as the articles provide.
4. Stamp where due
- Pay any stamp duty due (Stamp Duty Act) within time to keep the document admissible.
5. Keep originals
- Each party keeps an executed original; electronic signatures are recognised for many contracts (Electronic Transactions/Signatures law).
Key authorities
- Contracts Act, Cap. 284 (2023 Revision) — s.9.
- Stamp Duty Act, Cap. 339 (2023 Revision).
- Electronic Transactions Act / Electronic Signatures Act.
Checklist · Contracts & commercial.
Actively maintained.
Last reviewed 9 June 2026; next review due 9 June 2027.
This resource is a practitioner orientation and general information, not legal advice, and does not create an advocate–client relationship. It is AI-generated. Ugandan law changes and chapter and section numbers were revised in the 2023 Laws of Uganda. Verify every statute, rule, form, fee and authority against the current primary source — and the specific facts of your matter — before relying on it.