Industrial Court orders Kabojja Junior School to pay former teacher Shs26.6m

The Industrial Court in Kampala has ordered Kabojja Junior School Limited to pay Shs26.6 million to a former teacher, Jean Joan Kashanku, after ruling that she retired due to medical incapacity. The ruling, delivered on November 13, 2026, resolved a labor dispute that began after the school declined to pay her statutory terminal benefits.

Kashanku joined the institution as a teacher in February 2004 and served for 16 continuous years. She retired in June 2020 due to persistent back pain and hand numbness, which she attributed to prolonged standing, writing on chalkboards, and marking exams. Although management provided her with an alternative chair and allowed physiotherapy, the school later rejected her severance claim, arguing her retirement was voluntary and that her medical documentation was inadequate.

Justice Anthony Wabwire Musana, alongside panel members, rejected the school’s defense. The court ruled that a clinical officer who assessed Kashanku was legally authorized to do so, and clarified that physical incapacity under Section 86(c) of the Employment Act does not require an employee to be bedridden. The judge also faulted the school for failing to arrange an independent medical examination if it doubted her report.

The court awarded Kashanku Shs15.2 million in severance pay, calculated at one month’s salary for each of her 16 completed years of service, alongside Shs11.4 million in general damages for the psychological distress caused by the refusal to pay her benefits. However, the claim for exemplary damages was dismissed, and both parties were directed to bear their own costs.

Read more details on the Daily Monitor.