The High Court has extended an order halting construction of a disputed apartment project in Bugolobi, dealing another legal setback to International Court of Justice Judge Julia Sebutinde and her co-defendants.
In an order issued on June 16, 2026, Registrar Simon Kintu Zirintusa renewed a temporary injunction that was first granted in January, effectively prohibiting any further construction works at Plot 8, Princess Anne Drive in Bugolobi until the final determination of the main suit.
The order arose from Miscellaneous Application No. 0499 of 2026, stemming from Miscellaneous Application No. 1106 of 2025 and High Court Civil Suit No. 470 of 2025.
“It is hereby ordered that a Temporary Injunction granted on the 12th day of January 2026 by this honourable court halting the multi-storied commercial apartments’ building operation at Plot 8, Princess Anne Drive, Bugolobi, Nakawa Division, Kampala Capital City, is hereby renewed and extended until the final disposal of the main suit,” the order reads.
The injunction was initially issued for six months after residents and neighbouring property owners challenged the legality of the multi-storey development associated with Justice Sebutinde, her husband John Bagunywa Ssebutinde, site supervisor Joseph Wamala and the Kampala Capital City Authority (KCCA).
In granting the injunction earlier this year, the court held that the applicants had established a prima facie case and that allowing construction to continue could cause irreparable harm, including alleged invasion of privacy, dust pollution, noise and persistent disruption to the neighbourhood.
The renewed order means the developers cannot lawfully resume construction pending the hearing and determination of the substantive case, which is scheduled for June 22, 2026.
The extension comes barely two months after the High Court declined to halt related criminal proceedings arising from allegations that a KCCA stop order issued against the project had been disregarded.
In that ruling, Justice Alex Mackay Ajiji dismissed efforts to terminate the private prosecution before plea-taking, holding that the matters raised should be resolved during trial and directing that the criminal proceedings be expedited.
With the construction freeze now extended until the civil suit is concluded, Justice Sebutinde and her co-defendants remain entangled in parallel civil and criminal proceedings linked to the Bugolobi development.
The outcome of the main suit is expected to determine the future of the contested apartment project and could have broader implications for enforcement of Kampala’s planning and building regulations, irrespective of the status or office held by those involved.
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