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Ugandans Rallied to Acquaint Selves with Succession Law

Samuel Mugisha, the acting regional registrar in charge of Education and Public Affairs at the Judicial Service Commission, stressed the need to know the basics of such laws so that they understand the procedure of managing them.
04 Oct 2024 15:18

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Ugandans have been asked to inform themselves about the basic law on succession, to avoid inheritance disputes.  

The legal framework governing estate and succession management in Uganda is contained in the Succession Act, Cap 162.  

However, in Uganda especially the rural areas where many are ignorant about such law, upon the death of, especially the head of a home, people do informal distribution of property, without the involvement of the court, which in most cases leaves out main beneficiaries of the deceased’s property, such as orphans and widows.  

Samuel Mugisha, the acting regional registrar in charge of Education and Public Affairs at the Judicial Service Commission, stressed the need to know the basics of such laws so that they understand the procedure of managing them.     

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Addressing the media on Thursday in Arua, Mugisha also appealed to people intending to start a family, to legalize their marriage, and to have rights over property.     

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Mugisha also urged those intending to marry to acquire the national identification card, a new and additional requirement from the National Identification Regulatory Authority-NIRA or by law to have a national identification card.     

He, however, warned people who always change their names and contract other marriages that it is an offence, and could affect them during property inheritance.

Teddy Gloria Yako, a widow and Speaker of Arua City revealed that when her husband died, she faced the challenge of inheriting his property because his parents grabbed every property until she was aided by FIDA Uganda years later to get them back.     

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Rehema Minala, a legal officer with FIDA Uganda Arua office appealed to the women to be acquainted with Article 26 of the Uganda Constitution of 1955, on the different ways they can own property such as land, which are through inheritance, purchase, and gift.     

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In Uganda, many customs don’t recognize women during property inheritance, especially widows. But legally, a widow and female children are entitled to a share of the deceased’s estate.

According to sections 29 and 30 of the Succession Amendment Act, 2021, a spouse of a deceased is entitled to 20 percent of the property if there are dependent relatives, lineal dependents, and heirs. 

However, if the deceased leaves no surviving dependent relatives or dependent relatives, and heir the spouse receives 50 percent of the intestate’s property.  

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