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Uganda National Roads Authority v Multilines Construction Company Limited (Arbitration Cause 20 of 2022)

High Court · [2026] UGCOMMC 111 · 2026 Application Dismissed AI-generated summary ↓ Download Pin to watchlist Add to matter
Jurisdiction
Uganda
Case Type
Application to recognize and enforce an arbitral award under Section 35 of the Arbitration and Conciliation Act
Decision
Application dismissed for non-prosecution

Observed later treatment

No later-treatment classification is recorded for this judgment.

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Holding

The High Court dismissed an application to recognize and enforce an arbitral award under Section 35 of the Arbitration and Conciliation Act where the applicant failed to appear at multiple scheduled hearings over four years despite proper notice. The court held that persistent non-appearance by the party invoking the court's jurisdiction constitutes a failure to take necessary steps to advance the case, warranting dismissal under Order 17 Rule 4 of the Civil Procedure Rules.

Outcome

Application dismissed for non-prosecution

Facts

The applicant Uganda National Roads Authority filed an application by letter dated 16 May 2022 seeking to enforce an arbitral award under Section 35 of the Arbitration and Conciliation Act. The arbitral award was in favour of the respondent Multilines Construction Company Limited. Multiple hearing notices were issued on 8 December 2025, 19 February 2026, and 10 March 2026. The respondent appeared at each hearing and communicated the court's directions to the applicant. The applicant never appeared to progress the application despite being properly notified. The application remained on the court record for four years without advancement by the applicant.

Issues

  1. Whether the application should be dismissed for non-appearance of the applicant.

Orders

  • Application dismissed pursuant to Order 17 Rule 4 of the Civil Procedure Rules.
  • Costs awarded to the respondent.

Rules and key headnotes

Civil Procedure — Dismissal for Non-Appearance — Order 17 Rule 4
Where a party who has invoked the court's jurisdiction by filing an application fails to appear at multiple scheduled hearings despite proper notice and fails to take steps to advance the case, the court may dismiss the application pursuant to Order 17 Rule 4 of the Civil Procedure Rules.
Arbitration & ADR — Enforcement of Awards — Duty to Prosecute Application
A party seeking to enforce an arbitral award under Section 35 of the Arbitration and Conciliation Act bears the responsibility to facilitate the expeditious progression of the enforcement application; persistent failure to appear constitutes abandonment of the application.

Legislation cited (4)

Full judgment

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

Uganda National Roads Authority v Multilines Construction Company Limited (Arbitration Cause 20 of 2022) [2026] UGCommC 111 (18 March 2026)
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.