Business 3 October 2026 Daily Monitor (Uganda)
Court Ruling Dashes Hopes for Elderly Businessman Ssempijja
Vincent Ssempijja, a businessman nearing 70, has faced a significant legal setback as the High Court dismissed his efforts to revive a protracted legal battle over a contested land transaction. Source: https://www.monitor.co.ug/uganda/magazines/people-power/ssempijja-on-the-brink-after-suffering-setback-5617652
A High Court decision has effectively stalled Vincent Ssempijja’s long-standing efforts to reclaim what he claims was unjustly acquired land. The ruling, delivered on Friday, denied Ssempijja’s application to have a prior judgment set aside, a move that would have allowed him to re-open his case.
Ssempijja, who is approaching his seventieth birthday, had been seeking to overturn a 2016 ruling that favored the current occupants of the disputed property. His legal team argued that the original proceedings were flawed and that he was not given a fair hearing.
However, Justice Boniface Wamala found no merit in Ssempijja’s arguments. The court stated that the application to set aside the judgment was filed too late, citing the extensive delay since the initial ruling. The judge emphasized that Ssempijja had ample opportunity to appeal or seek redress much earlier but failed to do so.
This decision marks a significant blow to Ssempijja’s hopes of regaining ownership of the land, which has been the subject of a decade-long dispute. The court’s pronouncement reinforces the 2016 judgment, leaving Ssempijja with limited legal avenues to pursue his claim.
The case has been characterized by numerous delays and legal maneuvers, highlighting the complexities and protracted nature of land disputes in Uganda. Ssempijja’s prolonged fight for the land has now been dealt a substantial setback by this latest judicial intervention.