The Commercial Division of the High Court in Kampala has unlocked cases worth over shs90 billion during a two-weeks mediation drive that concluded recently.
The mediation drive was held between May 18 and 29 , 2026 focusing on the focusing on expediting resolution of banking, loans and credit-related disputes as well as unlocking billions of shillings tied up in prolonged litigation.
Giving an update on the drive, the Commercial Court head judge, Anna Mugenyi said on Friday that a total of 527 cases were cause listed for mediation in two weeks and of these, 417 were completed, achieving a 79.73% completion rate.
Judge Mugenyi said of these, 97 cases were successfully settled through mediation.
“This resulted in the amicable resolution of disputes with a combined subject matter value of shs90.679 billion,” Judge Mugenyi said.
“These settlements enabled parties to avoid prolonged litigation, reduce legal costs, preserve commercial relationships, and facilitate faster realization of business outcomes.”
The head judge of the Commercial Court said the highest-value case successfully resolved through mediation during the drive was one between Bank of India (Uganda) Limited and Qualicoff (U) Ltd which involved a subject matter value of shs5.292 billion which she said fully settled through mediation and closed on 25 June 2026, taking 82 days from filing to completion.
“The successful resolution of this high-value commercial dispute demonstrates the effectiveness of mediation in facilitating timely, cost-effective settlements while preserving business relationships and reducing the burden of prolonged litigation,” she said.
The judge said the oldest case settled was one dating back six years, having been filed in 2026 but the drive ensured both parties reached an agreement.
Speaking during the function, Bank of Uganda Governor, Michael Etingi- Ego hailed the judiciary for the initiative he said has helped unlock into the economy, billions of shillings in form of capital.
“Capital, like blood, serves the body only in motion. Cold in one place, like in commercial courts, it does the economy no good at all. This is not a courtesy extended to litigants. It is a rule that they can rely on. And in matters of credit and capital, reliability is worth more than a cent,” he said.
“Consent judgments still take longer to execute than the mediations that produce them. They are slower than layers of internal approvals within our institutions. Procedures still exist in places where a signature or a video link would suffice. Some borrowers, frankly, still treat mediation as one more delay to be exploited rather than the alternative to litigation that it is designed to be. But none of this is a reason to refrain from mediating. It is a reason to refine it.”
The BoU governor however proposed some priorities for future mediation sessions.
“First, if we are going to have future mediation sessions, which I believe, the window should be extended so that we are not constrained by arbitrary timelines. Sconsent judgments in chambers or electronically so that settlements reached in a mediation room do not lose momentum in the registry,” he urged
He called for the standardization of Alternative Dispute Resolution(ADR) clauses in financial contracts so that mediation becomes the contractual default, not a concession negotiated under pressure.
“Screen cases for ADR suitability at the point of filing so that suitable matters are identified before court resources are spent on them and unnecessary interlocutory applications are avoided.”
The Principal Judge , Lady Justice Jane Frances Abodo said the drive demonstrated that mediation is not merely an alternative to litigation, but a powerful tool for delivering timely, cost-effective and business-friendly justice.
“Every matter that was settled represents more than a closed fight; it signifies relationships that have been developed, commercial confidence that is strengthened and justice delivered in a manner that allows parties to move forward,” Abodo said.
“As we reviewed the outcomes today, we are celebrating the achievements, but we have also taken note of the lessons learned. We should ask ourselves what went wrong, what challenges remain, and how we can institutionalize best practices so that the spirit of mediation extends beyond the designated settlement sessions.”
