High Court has paved for Mua Insurance company to recover Shs14.8 billion from Roko Construction Rwanda Ltd after recognising a judgment issued by a Rwandan court against the construction firm.
The High Court Commercial Division in Kampala on July 12, 2026, registered a September 13, 2024 judgment of Rwanda’s High Commercial Court, allowing MUA Insurance Rwanda Ltd to pursue enforcement against Roko Construction’s assets and business proceeds in Uganda.
Acting High Court Judge Susan Odongo decided after MUA applied to have the Rwandan judgment recognised and enforced in Uganda.
According to court documents Rwanda court ordered Roko Construction Rwanda to pay several sums arising from construction and insurance-related obligations. MUA told Uganda court that the outstanding liability had accumulated to Shs14.87 billion, based on the applicable exchange rates at the time the enforcement application was filed.
The largest component of the debt is $2.93 million, approximately Shs10.45 billion, relating to construction works undertaken by Village Health Works.A further $350,000, equivalent to about Shs1.25 billion, was awarded in relation to insurance involving Betts & Townsend Project Management Ltd, while FRW1.3 billion, about Shs3.17 billion, relates to insurance for construction activities undertaken by I&M Bank.
MUA told Uganda court that the judgment remained unsatisfied and that attempts to recover the debt in Rwanda had been complicated by the alleged departure of Roko Construction’s directors from the country.
The insurer argued that despite the outstanding judgment debt, Roko Construction continued to undertake business in Uganda, creating an opportunity for the company to recover the money from assets or proceeds linked to its Uganda operations.
Court was presented with joint venture agreements involving Roko Construction Rwanda and Uganda companies. Some of the agreements concerned major infrastructure projects, including the construction of the New Chamber of Parliament and offices for the Uganda Electricity Transmission Company Limited (UETCL).
MUA argued that the existence of those commercial interests in Uganda justified recognition of the Rwanda judgment so that it could pursue enforcement against property and proceeds belonging to Roko Construction within the country.
Justice Odongo agreed with the insurer, finding that the Rwandan judgment satisfied the requirements for recognition and enforcement under Ugandan law.
The judge found that the judgment was final and conclusive, related to a commercial monetary obligation and remained enforceable in Rwanda.
“The legal obligation created by the Rwandan court is a debt that follows the debtor,” Justice Odongo ruled.
She further observed that it would be unjust for a company to escape an adjudicated liability by moving across borders while continuing to benefit from commercial opportunities in another jurisdiction.
The judge rejected objections against enforcement of the Rwandan judgment, noting that Roko Construction had participated in the proceedings in Rwanda and had been allowed to defend itself.
High Court found no evidence that the judgment had been obtained through fraud or that enforcing it in Uganda would contravene public policy.
“The judgment is from a superior court of a reciprocating Commonwealth territory, it is final and conclusive, it is for a sum of money that is not a fine or tax; the application is timely, and the debt is wholly unsatisfied and enforceable,” the judge said.
The court consequently ordered that the Rwandan judgment be registered as a judgment of the High Court of Uganda and awarded MUA Insurance Rwanda the costs of the application.
The registration does not itself settle the debt but gives MUA access to Uganda’s enforcement mechanisms. The insurer can now commence execution proceedings against Roko Construction’s assets and recoverable business proceeds in Uganda.
The ruling effectively brings the dispute into Uganda, where Roko Construction’s commercial interests and ongoing projects may become the focus of enforcement efforts as MUA seeks to recover the Shs14.8 billion awarded by the Rwandan court.
Speaker of Parliament Jacob Marksons Oboth-Oboth has given ROKO Construction a 10-month deadline to complete the new parliamentary chambers, warning that further delays will not be tolerated.
Oboth-Oboth announced the directive during a plenary communication from the chair, saying the Parliamentary Commission agreed last week after a comprehensive site inspection to set a firm completion date of June 30, 2027, for the long-delayed project
