The Industrial Court has ordered Kings International School (KIS) in Kampala to pay two former British educators more than US$5,000 in unpaid salaries, bringing to a close a labour dispute that has lingered since 2017.
In a judgment delivered on June 18, 2026, Justice Anthony Wabwire Musana, together with panelists Adrine Namara, Susan Nabirye and Michael Matovu, held that although the two educators were employees of the school, they were not unlawfully dismissed because they chose not to return to work after enduring months of unpaid wages and disagreements over changes to their employment terms.
The suit was filed by Jane Dicker, a British national who served as Academic Manager and Mentor, and James Connolly, who worked as Head Teacher at Kings International School.
Court heard that the two educators were offered two-year contracts on July 5, 2017, with employment commencing on August 14, 2017. Their appointment letters promised a monthly salary of US$1,500, medical benefits, accommodation, work permits and incentives for attracting new students.
Dicker testified that she diligently performed her duties and that no complaints were ever raised regarding her performance. However, she said the school management later introduced new terms and conditions without consultation, effectively changing the nature of her employment.
According to Dicker, the revised terms downgraded her status from a full-time employee to a volunteer and removed previously agreed benefits, including medical coverage and probation provisions.
Despite repeatedly seeking meetings with management to discuss the changes, she said her concerns were ignored.
Dicker further testified that on November 26, 2017, while pregnant, she received a text message and email from the school’s director, Naomi Davidson, instructing her not to report back to work and informing her that her personal belongings would be sent to her.
She told court that the school’s failure to pay salary arrears amounting to US$3,606 subjected her to stress, anxiety and financial hardship.
Connolly, who had taught since 1979, testified that he accepted the position of Head Teacher after initially volunteering at the school between February and July 2017.
He said he oversaw Year Nine classes and efforts to expand the school, adding that he donated books, footballs and a projector, helping increase student enrolment from about 70 to more than 105 learners.
However, Connolly stated that a few months into his employment, management introduced fresh terms and conditions without consulting him. He said repeated attempts by him and Dicker to meet school officials to discuss their concerns were unsuccessful.
He further told court that Kings International School failed to pay him salary arrears amounting to UGX9 million for October, November and December 2017 and also neglected to reimburse UGX470,000 that he had spent on school activities with management’s approval.
Connolly said the continued non-payment of wages and the breakdown in communication made it impossible for him to continue working, forcing him to return to the United Kingdom.
The school denied all allegations and maintained that Dicker and Connolly were volunteers who received allowances only when finances permitted.
Betty Wandulu, the school’s administrator and sole witness for the respondent, testified that Kings International School depended largely on grants from well-wishers and fees paid by a limited number of students.
She said the two educators initially joined the school on a voluntary basis and that Dicker had additionally been offered education for a child under her guardianship, while Connolly received accommodation and other forms of support.
Wandulu told court that management later prepared employment contracts and statements outlining terms and conditions, but the claimants declined to sign them.
She further accused the pair of abandoning their duties before the end of the first term of the 2017/2018 academic year and subsequently spreading negative information about the school through WhatsApp messages.
According to Wandulu, these actions caused parents, teachers and students to leave the school, leading to a decline in enrolment, loss of revenue and reputational damage estimated at more than US$60,000.
The school also sought US$12,000 in lieu of notice, claiming each teacher owed US$6,000 for failing to provide two months’ notice before leaving. It further sought to recover alleged unpaid school fees for students under Dicker’s guardianship.
However, the Industrial Court rejected the school’s contention that the claimants were volunteers.
The judges observed that payment vouchers produced by the school showed that Dicker and Connolly each received US$1,500 in September 2017, which corresponded with the salaries stipulated in their appointment letters.
The court held that the conduct of both parties established an employer-employee relationship despite the absence of signed contracts.
“An employer cannot unjustly enrich themselves by withholding remuneration for labour duly performed,” the judges stated.
Nonetheless, the court concluded that neither Dicker nor Connolly had proved unlawful termination.
It found that Dicker had independently decided not to return to work because her trust in the school had broken down owing to persistent non-payment of wages during her pregnancy.
Similarly, Connolly admitted that he mutually agreed with Wandulu not to resume work because the school lacked funds to pay his salary.
While acknowledging that Kings International School breached the employment relationship by failing to pay wages, the court ruled that the claimants neither formally resigned nor satisfied the legal threshold for constructive dismissal.
The judges also dismissed the school’s counterclaim in its entirety, finding insufficient evidence to link the educators to the alleged defamatory WhatsApp messages and noting that the purported financial losses had not been strictly proved.
Claims for outstanding school fees were equally rejected because they had not been included in the original pleadings and were only introduced later through a supplementary witness statement.
The court ultimately awarded Jane Dicker US$2,662 and James Connolly US$2,447 in unpaid wages, with interest at six percent per annum accruing from November 26, 2017, until payment in full.
Kings International School was also ordered to bear the costs of the suit.
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