Wakilii

In the matter of An application for extension of letters of Administration granted to Abuno and Others (Miscellaneous Application No. 0047 of 2025)

High Court · [2025] UGHC 633 · 2025 Application Granted AI-generated summary ↓ Download Pin to watchlist Add to matter
Jurisdiction
Uganda
Case Type
Application for extension of Letters of Administration and leave to file inventory and accounts outside prescribed time
Decision
Application allowed with orders extending Letters of Administration and time for filing inventory and accounts for two years

Observed later treatment

No later-treatment classification is recorded for this judgment.

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Holding

The court granted a two-year extension of Letters of Administration that had expired on 31 May 2025, finding sufficient cause where administrators had taken steps to realize estate assets and made partial distribution but faced challenges in completing administration due to beneficiaries' disagreement on distribution and conditions in the will. The court also extended time for filing inventory and accounts, satisfied that applicants were not guilty of dilatory conduct having filed the application one day before expiry of the grant.

Outcome

Application allowed with orders extending Letters of Administration and time for filing inventory and accounts for two years

Facts

The applicants were granted Letters of Administration with a will annexed on 12 August 2016 in respect of the estate of the late Gershom Jones Ojepan Eyoku. Under section 337(2) of the Succession Act, the grant expired on 31 May 2025. The applicants embarked on realizing and discovering estate assets and made partial distribution but had not completed transfer into beneficiaries' names because beneficiaries had not conclusively agreed to a distribution plan. The annexed will contained conditions that had to be fulfilled before inventory and accounts could be filed. The applicants filed the present application on 30 May 2025, one day before expiry of the grant, seeking extension of the Letters of Administration and leave to file inventory and accounts outside the prescribed time. All beneficiaries consented to the application.

Issues

  1. Whether the court should extend the Letters of Administration granted to the applicants which expired on 31st May 2025.
  2. Whether the applicants should be granted leave to file an inventory and final accounts outside the legally prescribed time.

Orders

  • The Letters of Administration (with a will annexed) granted to the applicants vide Administration Cause No. 026 of 2015 are extended for a period of two years from 31st May 2025.
  • The time within which to file an inventory and final accounts of the estate of the late Gershom Jones Ojepan Eyoku be extended for the same period of two years.
  • The costs of the application are to be met from the estate.

Rules and key headnotes

Letters of Administration — Extension — Sufficient Cause
Under section 337(2) of the Succession Act Cap 268, the court may extend Letters of Administration upon sufficient cause being shown for a reasonable period as determined by the court, where factors constituting sufficient cause include that the extension is in the best interest of the beneficiaries, the administrators have complied with relevant provisions of law and conditions in the grant, and consent has been obtained from all beneficiaries.
Inventory and Accounts — Extension of Time — Requirements
To grant an extension of time within which to file inventory and final accounts under section 273 of the Succession Act, the court must be satisfied that the applicants have established sufficient cause for their failure to act within time, the applicants are not guilty of dilatory conduct, and no injustice will be occasioned to any of the beneficiaries.
Extension of Time — Dilatory Conduct — Application Filed Before Expiry
An applicant is not guilty of dilatory conduct where the application for extension is filed one day before expiry of the grant, demonstrating diligence in seeking relief before the deadline passes.

Legislation cited (8)

Full judgment

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The original judgment as reported. Read the original PDF before relying on any passage.

In the matter of An application for extension of letters of Administration granted to Abuno and Others (Miscellaneous Application No. 0047 of 2025) [2025] UGHC 633 (17 July 2025)
Source: this page presents Wakilii’s issue analysis and metadata for a publicly reported Ugandan judgment. Any AI-generated summary is marked as such. Judgment text is sourced from the Uganda Legal Information Institute (ulii.org). Wakilii is not affiliated with ULII.