BMK Director to Fork Out 1.4 Billion Shillings After Court Showdown
The Commercial Court Division of the High Court has told Haruna Muwanga, the director of BMK Uganda Ltd, to cough up a staggering 1.4 billion shillings to Balaam Barugahara, the Minister of State for Gender, Labour, and Social Development in charge of Youth Affairs.
If you thought borrowing money from a friend was risky, try doing it with a minister and not paying up on time. Muwanga, who clearly didn’t read the fine print or missed the memo on keeping promises, borrowed a cool 1 billion shillings from Barugahara on July 21, 2021. The deal was simple: pay it back within six months, or by October 30, 2021. Apparently, the calendar was not in Muwanga’s favor, as he managed to miss the deadline by a mile.
Fast forward to July 31, 2024, and Muwanga finds himself in deeper waters, with the court adding an extra 400 million shillings to his bill, totaling 1.4 billion shillings. The judge, Justice Thomas Ocaya, was not in a forgiving mood. He declared that Muwanga had failed spectacularly at meeting his end of the bargain and ordered him to repay the full amount—plus interest.
Now, if you’re wondering how Muwanga ended up with such a hefty tab, it’s a tale of over-promises and under-delivery. According to the court’s findings, Barugahara didn’t rush to the courts out of spite but because Muwanga’s “contractual gymnastics” left him high and dry. The court found that Muwanga’s failure to settle the debt on time, despite multiple reminders, warranted a slap of general damages equal to the amount owed. Essentially, it’s a 1.4 billion shilling penalty for being a bad debtor.
Muwanga tried to play the “I have standing orders” card, claiming he had arranged payments to cover his debt. However, his evidence was about as convincing as a cow claiming it can fly. The court found no proof of such orders, thus making his argument as useful as a banana peel on a slippery floor.
Justice Ocaya summed up the situation with a touch of judicial flair, noting that the “demeanor exhibited by the defendant is seemingly disingenuous,” and awarded Barugahara not just the debt but additional damages to cover his inconveniences. Looks like Muwanga’s attempt to dodge his financial commitments has cost him dearly, proving once again that dodging debts in Uganda is like to trying to outrun a tortoise in a marathon—eventually, it catches up with you.
