UCU Ordered to Pay Law Student Shs100m Over Unfair Credit Transfer Reversal

The High Court in Kampala has awarded Shs100 million in general damages to a law student after finding that Uganda Christian University (UCU) acted unfairly and irrationally in its handling of the transfer of her academic credits from King’s College London.

In a judgment delivered on Friday through the Electronic Court Case Management Information System (ECCMIS), Civil Division Judge Bernard Namanya ruled that the university breached the student’s legitimate expectations and failed to follow fair administrative procedures.

Court records show that Samantha Mwesigye joined UCU in 2022 after completing her first year of a Bachelor of Laws programme at King’s College London. Based on a credit transfer arrangement, she was admitted and allowed to proceed to Semester Two of Year One.

However, as she approached graduation in 2026, UCU informed her that she had to complete additional courses, including Bible Studies, Legal Writing, Fundamentals of Criminal Law and Constitutional History. The university also required her to obtain a certificate of equivalence from the National Council for Higher Education (NCHE).

Represented by lawyers from Kampala Associated Advocates (KAA), led by Ferdinand Tumuhaise, Mwesigye challenged the decision, arguing that it was unlawful, irrational and a violation of her legitimate expectations.

UCU maintained that the case was premature and argued that the student had not yet fulfilled all the academic requirements for graduation.

Justice Namanya, however, held that the university’s admission letter had expressly recognised the transfer of credits and that the institution could not later reverse that position without a valid reason.

“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 ruled.

The court further found that UCU had not informed the student at the time of admission that NCHE certification would be required and that such a condition could not be imposed retrospectively.

It also noted that Mwesigye had progressed through the programme without objection and had even been cleared to contest for guild leadership, a position that required satisfactory academic standing.

Justice Namanya concluded that the university’s actions violated Article 42 of the Constitution, which guarantees fair administrative treatment, and created a legitimate expectation that Mwesigye would graduate without being subjected to additional conditions.

While the court declined to interfere with the university’s academic mandate, it found that UCU’s decision-making process was unlawful, irrational and procedurally improper.

The court awarded Mwesigye Shs100 million in general damages for the loss, inconvenience and unfair treatment she suffered. The award will attract interest at 25 percent per annum from the date of judgment until full payment, and UCU was also ordered to pay the costs of the case.