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Former UEB workers sue lawyer over Shs8 billion
Workers of the defunct Uganda Electricity Board fix a pole in Kampala in the 1990s. FILE PHOTO
What you need to know:
Allegations. The former workers claim their representatives paid their lawyer Shs8.6 billion without consulting them.
KAMPALA.
Former Uganda Electricity Board (UEB) employees have sued their lawyer over what they say are higher than normal fees charged by the lawyer for representing them in a pension and gratuity case against Uganda Electricity Distribution Company Limited, the UEB liquidators, and the Attorney General.
The former UEB workers, represented by Mr Paul Nyamarere, Ms Josephine Nakafeero, Mr John Walugo and Mr Henry Kyambadde, hired Mr Alex Bashasha of Bashasha and Co. Advocates to represent them in the case in which they were awarded Shs47 billion.
The ex-workers have now gone to court, accusing their representatives of “conniving” with the lawyer to pay the lawyer Shs8.6b out of the Shs47 billion (18 per cent), which they say was done without consulting them and is against the advocates’ remuneration Act.
Court documents filed on behalf of the ex-UEB employees by M/S Byenkya, Kihika and Co. Advocates indicate that a High Court judgement entered on July 13, 2012, which authorised the deduction of advocate’s fees from their pension and gratuity was unlawful, contrary to court and public policy and violated their terms of pension, statutory and contractual rights. A date is yet to be set for the matter to be heard.
They also point out that before entering into the consent, the advocate-client costs were being contested in a suit filed in the Civil Division of the High Court challenging, among others, the remuneration agreement between the representatives and Mr Bashasha.
About the case
One of the lawyers for the defendants, who declined to be named, said the employees are wasting time since they have gone to court six times and have withdrawn on four occasions with two cases dismissed with costs against the applicants. “Court has already told them that they don’t have the authority to sue, but they continue to change lawyers and come back with another suit,” the lawyer said.
The ex-employees who are suing include Dison Okumu, Edward Udhec Rubanga, Joseph Henry Ndawula, James Natala, Stephen Mukasa, Fredrick John Mubiru, Oyella Rose Eve Opiro, Joseph Mutatiina, Mary Wacha, Stephen Epilu and others.
