KAMPALA, Uganda – A bombshell confidential report, allegedly written by a staff member at the Mengo Chief Magistrates Court, has raised serious allegations of procedural bypassing and irregular issuance of arrest warrants in cases involving moneylender Earth Rich Company Ltd.
The document dated 14th November 2025, and addressed to the Inspectorate of Courts, details a pattern of concerning practices that reportedly expose the court’s registry to “procedural and administrative risk” and have left staff “increasingly afraid.”
The anonymous whistleblower identifying as a “Concerned Registry Staff Member,” claims that cases filed by Earth Rich Company Ltd, particularly those handled before Magistrate Roger Rwingabo, follow an unusual and troubling pattern.
The report highlights that Earth Rich’s cases frequently proceed ex parte (with only one party present), even where the service of court documents to the other party is “unclear or inconsistent.” Furthermore, warrants of arrest are issued “very quickly” after these ex parte rulings, often sidestepping the “normal Registry processing.”
Allegations extend to the court’s record-keeping, with some arrest warrants allegedly appearing in court files without first being logged through the official Registry counter. Staff reportedly only see them after they have been executed. A significant number of these warrants and their proof of execution are also missing from the official Electronic Court Case Management Information System (ECCMIS), despite arrests being carried out. The same bailiffs, identified as Omara Paul T/A Pearl Court Bailiffs & Auctioneers, are said to be “used repeatedly, with very few returns being filed.”
The report attaches a specific warrant as evidence, dated 12th November 2025, against a Mr. Joshua Matovu in Civil Suit No. 0597 of 2024. The whistleblower states that for this warrant, “no Registry entry was made before the warrant was collected,” suggesting it was processed outside official channels. The attached warrant, also included in the report, commands bailiff Omara Paul to arrest Mr. Matovu for a judgment debt totalling Ugx 6,022,000. Critically, the warrant appears to have been signed by a magistrate, but key dates for its return are left blank, which critics may argue is a procedural flaw.
Fearing retaliation, the anonymous staff member has called for an immediate and comprehensive investigation, including a full audit of all arrest warrants issued in Earth Rich Company Ltd matters over the last three years. The demands also include a requirement for every magistrate who handled these warrants to provide copies for verification, the immediate upload of all missing documents to the ECCMIS system, and appropriate administrative action against any official found to have deviated from procedure.
The report concludes by affirming that the concern is solely “to protect the integrity of the Court and the Registry.” Copies of the report were also sent to the Chief Registrar and the Judicial Service Commission.
If the allegations are proven true, they point to a serious compromise of judicial process at Mengo Court, potentially enabling a specific entity to use the court’s powers for aggressive debt collection outside the bounds of standard procedure. The allegations raise urgent questions about the oversight of magistrates, the integrity of the court’s record-keeping, and the protection of defendants’ rights in civil debt cases.
As of the time of this reporting, the Inspectorate of Courts, the Judiciary, and Earth Rich Company Ltd have not issued public statements regarding these allegations.
This is a developing story….
CONFIDENTIAL_REPORT_IRREGULAR_WARRANT_EARTHRICH_2023_2025
