Administering an estate in Uganda: administrator's checklist
In brief
Holding a grant is the start of the job, not the end. An administrator must collect, account and distribute within strict timelines, or risk revocation. This checklist tracks the duties.
Who it's for & when to use it
Who it's for: Administrators and executors, and the beneficiaries holding them to account.
When to use it: From the moment the grant issues until distribution is complete.
When not to use it: Before a grant — preservation acts only (intermeddling is an offence).
The checklist
1. Take up the grant
- Collect the sealed grant; only the grant-holder may act as the deceased's representative.
- Notify banks, the land registry, URSB and other holders of estate assets, producing the grant.
2. Collect and protect the estate
- Gather the assets and secure them against loss or waste.
- Register as proprietor of any land by transmission, and observe spousal consent on family land.
- Identify and verify the estate's debts and liabilities.
3. Inventory and account on time
- Exhibit a full and true inventory within six months of the grant (Succession Act s.273).
- Render an account within one year; the court may extend either (s.273).
- Mind the grant's two-year validity — apply to extend before it lapses (ss.255–256).
4. Pay debts, then distribute
- Pay the funeral and testamentary expenses and the estate's debts before distributing.
- Distribute in the statutory shares (intestacy) or per the will, and obtain the beneficiaries' acknowledgements.
5. Account and close
- Keep records — failure to inventory or account is a ground for revocation of the grant (s.230).
- File the final account and close the administration.
Key authorities
- Succession Act, Cap. 268 (2023 Revision) — ss.230, 255–256, 273.
Checklist · Succession & estates.
Actively maintained.
Last reviewed 9 June 2026; next review due 9 December 2026.
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.