The High Court in Kampala has ordered Uganda Christian University (UCU) to pay Shs100 million in compensation to its former Guild President, Samantha Mwesigye, after finding that the institution handled her academic credit transfer unfairly and irrationally.
The judgement was delivered by Civil Division Judge Bernard Namanya, who held that the university acted improperly when it questioned Mwesigye’s transferred credits from King’s College London at the final stage of her Bachelor of Laws programme.
Court records indicate that Mwesigye joined UCU in 2022 after completing her first year of law studies at King’s College London under a credit transfer arrangement. She was admitted to continue her studies at UCU and progressed through the programme without interruption for several years.
However, shortly before her anticipated graduation in July 2026, the university informed her that she would be required to complete additional courses, including Bible Studies, Legal Writing, Fundamentals of Criminal Law and Constitutional History.
UCU also directed her to obtain a certificate of equivalence from the National Council for Higher Education (NCHE).
Aggrieved by the decision, Mwesigye, through her lawyers from Kampala Associated Advocates, petitioned the court, arguing that the university’s actions were unfair, irrational and violated her legitimate expectation to graduate under the terms upon which she had been admitted.
In his judgment, Justice Namanya observed that UCU had accepted Mwesigye’s admission on a credit transfer basis and allowed her to pursue her studies throughout the programme. The court further noted that she had been cleared to contest for the position of Guild President, a role that requires a student to be in good academic standing.
The judge held that the university’s subsequent demand for additional academic requirements contradicted its earlier position and had not been properly communicated to the student at the time of admission.
Justice Namanya also found that there was no legal requirement compelling Mwesigye to obtain a certificate of equivalence at that stage of her studies. He faulted the university for failing to provide formal written communication regarding its concerns and for handling the matter in a procedurally unfair manner.
The court ruled that UCU’s actions violated Mwesigye’s constitutional right to fair administrative treatment and amounted to procedural impropriety.
While the court declined to interfere with the university’s academic mandate, it held the institution accountable for the manner in which it handled the matter. Consequently, the court awarded Mwesigye Shs100 million in general damages for the inconvenience, distress and uncertainty caused by the university’s actions.
The court further ordered that the award attract interest at a rate of 25 percent per annum until full payment and directed the university to meet the costs of the suit.
The judgement brings to a close a legal dispute that has drawn attention to issues of fairness, consistency and accountability in the administration of academic programmes within higher education institutions.
