High Court declares URBRA board incompetent

KAMPALA, Uganda — The High Court of Uganda has declared the current Board of Directors of the Uganda Retirement Benefits Regulatory Authority (URBRA) incompetent, citing a lack of technical expertise to manage the agency’s affairs.

In a ruling issued on January 31, 2025, Justice Musa Ssekaana stated that the board, chaired by former MP Julius Bigirwa Junjura, is not properly constituted and lacks the requisite qualifications to oversee the regulation of retirement benefits schemes in Uganda.

“This court having found that the 2nd respondent’s (URBRA) board is not properly constituted or that it is constituted by persons who lack requisite qualifications, it is only fair and in the interest of the general public or the retired persons or pensioners that they are stopped from continuing to manage or sit on the board,” Justice Ssekaana ruled.

The court’s decision comes after the board fired the CEO of URBRA, Martin Anthony Nsubuga, in early 2024, following his questioning of their decision not to renew his contract. The board then appointed an acting CEO and advertised the position.

The High Court has now quashed these appointments and ordered the Minister of Finance, Planning and Economic Development to appoint a new board with the necessary technical competence to serve the public interest of pensioners and the sector as a whole.

According to the court ruling, the Minister should appoint individuals with qualifications set out under Section 8 of the Uganda Retirement Benefits and Regulatory Authority Act.

“The function of prohibition is to prohibit the board concerned from proceeding with the matter further or continuing to act in a particular way or manner,” the court stated.

URBRA is an autonomous body responsible for regulating retirement benefits schemes in Uganda’s private and public sectors, including the National Social Security Fund (NSSF).