Business 29 June 2026 Daily Monitor (Uganda)
Court Halts IRA CEO Search, Allows Kaddunabbi to Challenge Contract Non-Renewal
The High Court has temporarily stopped the Insurance Regulatory Authority of Uganda (IRA) from appointing a new Chief Executive Officer, allowing former CEO Ibrahim Kaddunabbi to challenge the board's decision not to recommend him for reappointment. Source: https://www.monitor.co.ug/uganda/business/insurance/court-freezes-ira-s-search-for-new-ceo-allows-kaddunabbi-to-challenge-board-s-refusal-to-renew-his-contract--5513278
A recent High Court ruling has put a temporary freeze on the recruitment process for a substantive Chief Executive Officer (CEO) at the Insurance Regulatory Authority of Uganda (IRA). The decision comes after former CEO Ibrahim Lubega Kaddunabbi filed a challenge against the IRA board’s refusal to recommend him for a contract renewal.
Justice Joyce Kavuma granted an interim injunction, halting the appointment process until the court can hear Kaddunabbi’s case. This means the Minister of Finance cannot finalize the appointment, even with an acting CEO already in place since June 1, following Kaddunabbi’s contract expiry on May 31.
At the core of the dispute is the legality of the board’s decision, which Kaddunabbi argues was made without a fair hearing, violating his right to fair administrative processes. He is seeking to have the board’s decision overturned and the appointment process paused until the board’s actions are legally reviewed.
The IRA had opposed the application, contending that the case was largely academic as Kaddunabbi’s contract had ended and an acting CEO was appointed. They argued that eligibility for reappointment does not guarantee a new term and that an expired contract cannot be revived by the court.
However, Justice Kavuma distinguished between the expiry of an employment contract and the completion of a statutory appointment process. The court found that the Minister of Finance had not yet made a substantive appointment, leaving the recruitment process incomplete and open to judicial scrutiny. The judge emphasized that allowing the process to continue before resolving the dispute could render Kaddunabbi’s main case futile.
While the court did not reverse steps already taken, including the appointment of an acting CEO, it ordered that the process for appointing a substantive CEO remain halted pending the full hearing of Kaddunabbi’s judicial review application. The case highlights significant questions regarding the powers of boards in statutory agencies and the judicial review of their decisions.