Muwema eviction: Law Society to sue landlord over suspected damage of sensitive client data

The Uganda Law Society has said it is considering taking legal action against Downtown Investments Ltd following the forceful eviction of Muwema & Co. Advocates from its offices in Kololo.

The society warned in a statement  that the operation may have exposed sensitive client information to damage or loss.

ULS said it was disturbed by viral videos showing agents of the landlord, backed by officers from the Uganda Police Force, removing property from the firm’s premises at Plot 50 Windsor Crescent in Kampala.

According to the Society, law firms handle confidential client materials such as title deeds, wills, exhibits and other protected legal documents, which must not be placed at risk during landlord–tenant disputes.

“Any disputes between advocates and landlords should not put clients at risk. Special rules apply to advocates’ landlord–tenant relationships which were possibly breached here,” the statement said.

The Society said it was contemplating legal action to ensure accountability and prevent similar incidents in the future.

The eviction stems from a long-running property dispute between the law firm and its landlord. In February, the Commercial Division of the High Court delivered judgment in HCCS No. 621 of 2023, ruling in favour of Downtown Investments Ltd.

Justice Patricia Mutesi ordered the firm and its partners, including city lawyer Fred Muwema, to pay more than Shs1.4 billion in rent arrears, damages and mesne profits and to vacate the Kololo premises.

The dispute dates back to a lease agreement signed in December 2014. Court records showed that the law firm allegedly accumulated significant rent arrears after stopping payments in late 2021, despite termination notices issued by the landlord in 2023.

The court concluded that the firm’s continued occupation of the property after termination of the tenancy amounted to trespass and ordered it to deliver vacant possession of the premises.

Despite the ruling, the Uganda Law Society argues that the eviction may have been conducted in breach of legal procedures.

According to the Society, the eviction was carried out on 6 March without a court-issued warrant of execution or eviction order, raising concerns about due process and the protection of client materials held by the firm.

The Society also noted that Muwema & Co. Advocates had already filed and served a notice of appeal challenging the High Court decision, a step it says should have been respected while the appellate process proceeds.

It has now called on Downtown Investments Ltd and the Inspector General of Police to reverse the actions taken during the eviction, apologise to the law firm and ensure that the pending appeal is respected.

The Society added that it stands in solidarity with the partners, staff and clients of the firm and warned that it would pursue “all lawful avenues” to protect the rights and independence of advocates in Uganda.