Practice guides
Plain-language, step-by-step orientation on how things are done under Ugandan law — grounded in the primary source.
How to conduct a land title search in Uganda
Anyone may search the land register: section 185 of the Registration of Titles Act, Cap. 240 (2023 Revision) entitles any person, on payment of the prescribed fee, to ins…
How to evict a tenant lawfully in Uganda
Since 17 June 2022, evictions are governed by the Landlord and Tenant Act, Cap. 238 (2023 Revision). A tenancy may only be terminated in accordance with the Act or the te…
How to transfer a land title to a buyer in Uganda
A sale of registered land is completed by registering a transfer at the land registry. Until registration nothing passes: under the Registration of Titles Act, Cap. 240 (…
How to buy land safely in Uganda: due diligence step by step
Buying land safely in Uganda means looking beyond the title. A registry search (Registration of Titles Act, Cap. 240 (2023 Revision), s.185) shows the registered propriet…
How to replace a lost land title in Uganda (special certificate)
If the duplicate certificate of title is lost, destroyed or made useless, the Registrar may issue a special certificate of title in its place. Under the Registration of T…
How to apply for letters of administration in Uganda
No right to the property of a person who died intestate can be established in court unless letters of administration have first been granted (Succession Act, Cap. 268 (20…
How to write a valid will in Uganda
A valid will in Uganda must be made by a person of sound mind who is not a minor (Succession Act, Cap. 268 (2023 Revision), s.29) and executed with formality: the testato…
How to apply for probate of a will in Uganda
Probate is the court's certification of a will and of the executor's authority to administer the estate. Under the Succession Act, Cap. 268 (2023 Revision), probate can b…
How to obtain a certificate of no objection in Uganda
A “certificate of no objection” is the administrative name for the Administrator General's clearance under the Administrator General's Act, Cap. 264 (2023 Revision), s.5.…
How to transfer a deceased person's land to the beneficiaries in Uganda
You cannot transfer a deceased person's registered land directly to the beneficiaries. First obtain a grant — probate (if there is a will) or letters of administration (i…
How to register a customary marriage in Uganda
A customary marriage is one celebrated according to the rites of an African community; it must be registered under the Customary Marriage (Registration) Act, Cap. 143. Th…
How to file for divorce in Uganda
Divorce of a civil or church marriage is governed by the Divorce Act, Cap. 144. A husband or wife may petition the court to dissolve the marriage on a ground in s.4 — adu…
How to apply for child maintenance in Uganda
A parent, guardian or person with custody of a child may apply to a Family and Children Court for a maintenance order against the child's father or mother under section 1…
How to apply for a domestic-violence protection order in Uganda
A victim of domestic violence (or their representative) may apply to a magistrate's court for a protection order under the Domestic Violence Act, Cap. 123; a complaint ma…
How to adopt a child in Uganda
Adoption is governed by the Children Act, Cap. 62. An application is made to a chief magistrate's court where both the child and the applicant are Ugandan citizens, or to…
How to file a complaint with a labour officer in Uganda
For most employment disputes the labour officer — not the court — is the first port of call. Under the Employment Act, Cap. 226 (2023 Revision), the only remedy for an in…
How to apply for bail in Uganda
Bail is release by a court, on conditions, pending trial — and you must apply for it. A magistrate's court may grant bail for most offences (Magistrates Courts Act, Cap. …
How to report a crime and follow up a case in Uganda
There are two routes. The usual one is to report to the police, who investigate and, where there is a case, charge the suspect and present it to court (the Police Act, Ca…
What to do when you or a relative is arrested in Uganda
Stay calm and assert your rights. On arrest you are entitled to be told why, in a language you understand, to contact a lawyer and a next of kin, and to be produced befor…
How to register a company at URSB in Uganda
A company is formed by one or more persons subscribing to a memorandum of association and complying with the registration requirements of the Companies Act, Cap. 106 (s.3…
How to register an NGO in Uganda
An NGO is registered with the National Bureau for Non-Governmental Organisations under the Non-Governmental Organisations Act, Cap. 109. A person or group incorporated as…
How to file annual returns and beneficial ownership in Uganda
A company with a share capital must make an annual return at least once every year (Companies Act, Cap. 106, s.128), and the return must be completed within forty-two day…
How to transfer shares in a Ugandan company
A share transfer is effected by a proper instrument of transfer. Under the Companies Act, Cap. 106, it is not lawful for a company to register a transfer of shares unless…
How to obtain a trading licence in Uganda
A trading licence is required to carry on most businesses. Under the Trade (Licensing) Act, Cap. 79, no person may trade in any goods or carry on any business specified i…
How to register a trademark in Uganda
Registering a trademark gives the owner the exclusive right to use the mark for the goods or services registered. Under the Trademarks Act, 2010, an applicant should firs…
How to recover a debt in Uganda: from demand to judgment
Debt recovery runs from demand to judgment to execution. Start with a written demand. If the amount does not exceed UGX 10 million, use the small claims procedure (Judica…
The small claims procedure in Uganda
The small claims procedure is a simplified, faster route for modest money claims. Under the Judicature (Small Claims Procedure) Rules, 2011, it covers a case whose subjec…
How to apply for a garnishee order in Uganda
A garnishee order is a way to enforce a judgment by reaching money that someone else owes your debtor — for example funds in the debtor's bank account. Under Order 23 of …
How to draft a simple land sale agreement in Uganda
A land sale agreement records the bargain before the transfer is registered. Because the value of land exceeds twenty-five currency points (UGX 500,000), the agreement mu…
How to swear an affidavit in Uganda
An affidavit is a written statement of facts sworn or affirmed as true before a person authorised to administer oaths. In Uganda a commissioner for oaths may administer t…
How to serve court documents in Uganda
After a suit is filed the defendant must be served with the summons and a copy of the plaint so they know of the case. Service is governed by Order V of the Civil Procedu…
How to apply for taxation of costs in Uganda
Taxation is the court process for assessing the costs payable — whether between the winning and losing parties, or between an advocate and their own client. The successfu…
How to object to a URA tax assessment in Uganda
If you disagree with a URA tax decision (such as an assessment), you must first object to the Uganda Revenue Authority before going to a tribunal. Under the Tax Procedure…
How to apply for a tax clearance certificate in Uganda
A tax clearance certificate (TCC) is proof from the Uganda Revenue Authority that a taxpayer has complied with their tax obligations. Under the Tax Procedures Code Act, C…
How to transfer vehicle ownership in Uganda
When a motor vehicle is sold, the change of ownership must be registered. Under the Traffic and Road Safety Act, Cap. 361, within three months after the sale or other dis…
How to apply for or renew a driving licence in Uganda
You must hold a valid driving licence to drive on a public road in Uganda. The Traffic and Road Safety Act, Cap. 361 (which now uses 'driving licence' in place of the for…
How to complain about misuse of your personal data in Uganda
If your personal data is misused, you can complain to the data protection authority. Under the Data Protection and Privacy Act, Cap. 97, a data subject (or any person who…
How to make and register a power of attorney in Uganda
A power of attorney (POA) is a formal document by which one person (the donor) authorises another (the attorney/agent) to act on their behalf — generally or for specific …
How to cite Ugandan cases and legislation
A practical guide to neutral citations, law-report citations and cause numbers for Ugandan courts — UGSC, UGCA, UGCC and the High Court — with worked examples.
The structure of Uganda's courts, explained
How Uganda's court hierarchy fits together — from the magistrates' courts up to the Supreme Court — and which court decides what.
How to find Ugandan case law online
Where to search for Ugandan judgments and statutes, how to read a citation, and how Wakilii's AI research speeds the work up.
How binding precedent works in Uganda
Stare decisis in Uganda — which courts bind which, and the difference between ratio decidendi and obiter dicta — with practical pointers for using authority in argument.
How to read a Ugandan judgment
The anatomy of a Ugandan judgment — coram, facts, issues, holding and orders — and how to extract the ratio decidendi you can rely on and cite.