The High Court in Mbale has ordered the registration and enforcement in Uganda of a divorce-related judgment issued by a court in the United States against a man who reportedly relocated to Mbale City after failing to comply with financial obligations imposed by the foreign court.
In a ruling delivered on Monday, Justice Dr. Lubega Farouq granted an application filed by Melissa Ann Wagidoso seeking recognition and enforcement of a judgment issued by the Circuit Court of the State of Oregon for Lane County in the United States.
Court records indicate that Melissa and Dan Wagidoso were legally married on February 20, 2015. Their marriage was dissolved by the Oregon court on August 8, 2024, following divorce proceedings initiated by Melissa.
As part of the dissolution judgment, the American court ordered Dan Wagidoso to pay his former spouse 700 US dollars every month starting August 30, 2024, until August 2026, or until an outstanding amount of 16,461 US dollars was fully settled.
Melissa told the Ugandan court that despite the judgment, her former husband had not made any payments. She said investigations later established that he had left the United States and was permanently residing in Mbale City, prompting her to seek enforcement of the judgment in Uganda.
Although represented by lawyer Massa Joseph, the respondent did not file any response opposing the application and also failed to submit written submissions despite being given an opportunity to do so.
In his ruling, Justice Lubega noted that Uganda does not have a reciprocal enforcement arrangement with the United States and that America is not a member of the Commonwealth. However, he observed that Ugandan courts have, through previous decisions, recognized and enforced judgments from US courts under the principle of international comity.
The judge cited earlier decisions emphasizing that foreign judgments may be enforced where they create a legal obligation and where courts seek to maintain mutual respect and cooperation between jurisdictions.
He found that the Oregon court had jurisdiction to determine the divorce matter, that its judgment remained valid and had not been appealed, and that the application to register it in Uganda was filed within the six-year period prescribed by law.
Justice Lubega consequently ordered that the judgment and decree issued by the Oregon court in Petition No. 24DR13509 be registered in the High Court at Mbale and enforced in the same manner as a judgment of a Ugandan court.
The judge, however, declined to award costs, noting that the respondent did not actively participate in the proceedings. Each party was ordered to bear their own costs.
The ruling was delivered through the advocates’ email addresses on June 22, 2026.
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