Wakilii

Uzuzi Meter Technologies Limited v Uganda Electricity Distribution Company Limited [2026] UGPPDPAAT 11

Tribunal · 2026 Application Struck Out AI-generated summary ↓ Download Pin to watchlist Add to matter
Jurisdiction
Uganda
Case Type
Application for review of procurement decision before the Public Procurement and Disposal of Public Assets Appeals Tribunal
Decision
Application struck out for lack of locus standi

Observed later treatment

No later-treatment classification is recorded for this judgment.

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Holding

The Tribunal held that the Applicant lacked locus standi to bring the application because its bid validity expired on 31 December 2025 without extension, and by the time it filed the application on 17 March 2026, it had ceased to be a bidder under the Public Procurement and Disposal of Public Assets Act. The application was struck out without consideration of the merits.

Outcome

Application struck out for lack of locus standi

Facts

Uzuzi Meter Technologies Limited was declared the Best Evaluated Bidder for Lot 4 in a procurement for the supply of smart energy meters at a contract price of UGX 10,784,000,000. The Respondent requested the Applicant to match a lower market price of UGX 10,114,989,500. The Applicant initially declined on 2 September 2025 but later agreed to match the market price on 11 November 2025. The Respondent did not proceed with contract execution. The Applicant filed a complaint before the Accounting Officer on 13 February 2026, which was dismissed as time-barred. The Applicant then filed an application before the Tribunal on 17 March 2026. The bidding document required bids to be valid until 31 December 2025, and the Applicant did not extend its bid validity beyond that date.

Issues

  1. Whether the Applicant has the requisite locus standi before the Tribunal?
  2. Whether the Accounting Officer erred in refusing to commence investigations into the Applicant's complaint after proof of payment of the administrative review fees had been provided?
  3. Whether the Respondent's Accounting Officer erred in law and in fact by refusing and/or failing to award the contract to the Applicant following the decision to award?
  4. What remedies, if any, are available to the parties?

Orders

  • The Application is struck out.
  • The Tribunal's suspension order dated March 18, 2026, is hereby vacated.
  • Each party shall bear its own costs.

Rules and key headnotes

Public Procurement — Locus Standi — Bid Validity — Effect of Expiry
A bidder whose bid validity has expired ceases to be a bidder under the Public Procurement and Disposal of Public Assets Act and lacks locus standi to institute proceedings before the Public Procurement and Disposal of Public Assets Appeals Tribunal, even if previously declared the Best Evaluated Bidder.
Public Procurement — Bid Validity — Extension — Voluntary Extension by Bidder
Under regulation 62(6) of the Public Procurement and Disposal of Public Assets (Rules and Methods for Procurement of Supplies, Works, and Non-Consultancy Services) Regulations, 2023, a bidder may voluntarily extend bid validity where the procuring entity delays and the bid validity period is likely to expire before completion of the procurement process, but such extension must be exercised before expiry of the original validity period.
Public Procurement — Locus Standi — Threshold Requirement
Locus standi is a threshold requirement that must be satisfied before a tribunal can consider the merits of an application; where an applicant lacks standing, the tribunal will not delve into the substantive issues raised.

Legislation cited (13)

Cases cited (5)

  • Betty Sentamu v Sylvia Nayebale & Electoral Commission (Civil Appeal No. 11 of 2021)
  • Meals on Wheels Ltd in Joint Venture with Maze Establishments Ltd v Uganda Civil Aviation Authority (Application No. 23 of 2025)
  • Meera Investment Limited v National Lotteries and Gaming Regulatory Board & Riverstone Africa Ltd/Grand Capital Reality (Application No. 44 of 2024)
  • Kazini Fredric v PPDA (Application No. 16 of 2015)
  • Twed Property Development Limited v PPDA (Application No. 9 of 2015)

Full judgment

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

Uzuzi Meter Technologies Limited v Uganda Electricity Distribution Company Limited 2026 UGPPDPAAT 11 (2 April 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.