Soroti, Uganda: The High Court in Soroti has ordered the transfer of a negligence suit filed by Joshua Okello against China State Construction Engineering Corporation to Kampala, ruling that the case was wrongly instituted in the eastern circuit.
In a directive issued on March 18, 2026, Resident Judge Boniface Wamala confirmed that the matter, registered as Miscellaneous Cause No. 0011 of 2025, falls within the jurisdiction of the Civil Division of the High Court in Kampala, where the respondent is based.
The decision followed an application by M/s JByamukama & Co. Advocates, representing the respondent, who argued that the suit had been improperly filed in Soroti contrary to the established structure of the High Court’s divisions and circuits.
Upon reviewing the request, Justice Wamala agreed, noting that the cause of action and the residence of the respondent clearly place the matter within Kampala’s jurisdiction. He warned that proceeding in the wrong forum could undermine the case on technical grounds.
“I am convinced that the mentioned suit was wrongly filed in the High Court of Uganda at Soroti… the suit ought to have been filed within the Civil Division of the High Court at Kampala,” the judge stated in the communication.
The court has since forwarded the case file to the Principal Judge for onward transmission to the appropriate division in Kampala, where it will now be reassigned a new case reference and proceed under the Civil Division.
The transfer ensures that the case is not defeated on procedural technicalities and preserves the right to a fair hearing for both parties.
All parties, including the applicant Joshua Okello and legal representatives of the construction firm, have been formally notified of the development, with future proceedings now expected to take place in Kampala.
The suit arises from a fatal road crash which claimed Rajiv Ruparelia, the son of prominent businessman Sudhir Ruparelia, an incident Okello attached to negligence by the construction firm.
According to court filings, the applicant alleges that China State Construction Engineering Corporation, a major contractor involved in infrastructure and construction projects in Uganda, bore responsibility for acts of negligence that led to the fatal outcome.
While full trial proceedings are yet to commence, the case is expected to interrogate questions of duty of care, safety compliance, and liability within large-scale construction operations—issues that have increasingly come under scrutiny as Uganda experiences rapid infrastructure growth.
Legal observers note that the case could set a significant precedent regarding accountability standards for multinational construction firms operating in Uganda, particularly in relation to public safety and operational safeguards.
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