The High Court in Kampala has awarded UGX100 million in general damages to a law student after finding that Uganda Christian University (UCU) acted unfairly and irrationally in handling the transfer of her academic credits from the United Kingdom.
In a ruling delivered on June 12, 2026, Justice Bernard Namanya held that UCU’s decision to question Samantha Mwesigye’s transferred credits at the end of her law studies violated principles of fairness, procedural propriety, and her legitimate expectations as a student.
Mwesigye had completed her first year of a Bachelor of Laws degree at King’s College London before joining UCU in August 2022. Her admission letter indicated that she had been accepted on the basis of transferred credits, allowing her to continue her studies at the university.
However, as she approached graduation in 2026, the university informed her that she was required to complete four additional course units—Introduction to the Bible, Legal Writing, Fundamentals of Criminal Law, and Constitutional History—and obtain a certificate of equivalence from the National Council for Higher Education (NCHE) before her credits could be recognised.
The student challenged the decision through judicial review proceedings, arguing that UCU had never informed her at the time of admission that she would be required to undertake the additional courses or secure an equivalence certificate.
In his judgment, Justice Namanya found that the university’s admission letter expressly stated that Mwesigye had been admitted through a transfer of credits and did not mention any requirement for an NCHE certificate of equivalence.
The judge ruled that UCU could not wait until the student had completed nearly four years of study before introducing new academic requirements that were never communicated at the point of admission.
“The respondent recognised the applicant’s transfer of credits from King’s College London at the time of admission in 2022, but later and without rational basis purported to withdraw that recognition in 2026 when the applicant was on the verge of graduation,” the judge observed.
The court further noted that throughout her studies, UCU treated Mwesigye as a student in good academic standing. She was cleared to contest for the position of Guild President and later served in the office.
The university also introduced her to the Ministry of Justice and Constitutional Affairs as a student awaiting graduation during an internship placement.
Justice Namanya said these actions reinforced the student’s belief that her transferred credits had been fully accepted by the institution.
The court also faulted the university for failing to provide a formal written decision explaining why it had reversed its position on the credit transfer and for not giving the student an adequate opportunity to be heard before imposing the additional requirements.
While the judge declined to interfere with the university’s statutory powers over academic policy and the award of degrees, he held that the institution’s decision-making process was tainted by irrationality and procedural impropriety.
Consequently, the court declared that UCU’s failure to transfer the credits obtained by Mwesigye from King’s College London breached her legitimate expectations and amounted to unfair administrative action.
Justice Namanya awarded her UGX100 million in general damages, together with interest at 25 percent per annum from the date of judgment until full payment. The university was also ordered to meet the costs of the suit.
The court, however, stopped short of directing the university to graduate Mwesigye or compelling the transfer of the credits, noting that such decisions fall within the academic mandate of the university and the NCHE.
