UETCL ordered to pay UGX 200m for unlawful land use

KAMPALA — The High Court has ordered the Uganda Electricity Transmission Company Limited (UETCL) to pay Shs 200 million in damages for installing high-voltage power lines over private land in Entebbe without the owner’s consent.

The court’s ruling follows a lawsuit filed by Rafella Adong, the owner of the 2.023-hectare property in Nalubudde, Entebbe, where the power lines were installed.

Adong had sued UETCL, seeking compensation for the unlawful use of her land. Her lawyers argued that UETCL’s actions violated Article 26 of the Ugandan Constitution, which protects property rights and mandates compensation before land acquisition.

Justice Musa Ssekaana, in his ruling, found UETCL liable for violating Adong’s property rights. He emphasized that land ownership extends beyond the surface to the airspace above, making UETCL’s installation of power lines without consent an illegal act.

The court awarded Adong Shs 100 million in general damages and another Shs 100 million as punitive damages. UETCL must also pay a daily fine of Shs 200,000 from the judgment date until full compensation is made.

UETCL had claimed that it had offered Adong Shs 198 million as compensation, which she rejected. However, the court’s ruling indicates that the company’s actions were unlawful and that Adong is entitled to compensation.