law 19 August 2026 Nile Post
Court Orders Bitature to Pay Finicon Shs954 Million in Consultancy Fees Dispute
A High Court judge has ordered businessman Patrick Bitature to pay Finicon (U) Limited approximately Shs954 million for unpaid consultancy fees related to two Kololo projects initiated in 2012. The ruling concludes a 14-year legal battle. Source: https://nilepost.co.ug/news/365001/court-orders-bitature-to-pay-finicon-shs954m-over-unpaid-consultancy-fees
Justice Stephen Mubiru of the High Court Commercial Division has ruled in favor of Finicon (U) Limited, ordering businessman Patrick Bitature to pay Shs954 million (approximately $256,136.17) in outstanding consultancy fees. This judgment brings an end to a protracted 14-year dispute concerning professional services rendered for two projects in Kololo, Kampala.
The dispute stemmed from two agreements signed in 2012: one for consultancy on a high-end boutique hotel on Summit View Road and another for the remodeling of Bitature’s residential property on Malcolm-X Road.
Finicon provided architectural, engineering, and project management services. The company asserted that it had completed a significant portion of the contracted work, including feasibility studies, designs, and tendering processes for both projects. They claimed fees of $228,000 for the hotel project and $63,136.20 for the residential project, totaling $291,136.20, with an initial outstanding balance of $267,598.20 after partial payment.
Bitature contested the claim, arguing that the projects had not progressed sufficiently to warrant the fees demanded and that the contracts lacked clarity regarding final construction costs. He also contended that a prior payment of $23,538 was a full and final settlement.
However, Justice Mubiru dismissed Bitature’s arguments. The court found no ambiguity in the contracts, stating they contained mechanisms for determining fees. Evidence presented indicated that Finicon had completed substantial work, progressing the hotel project to the bills of quantities stage and the residential project to the tender action stage. The court determined Finicon was owed $279,136.17 in total consultancy fees.
Bitature was ordered to pay $256,136.17, exclusive of VAT, with interest accruing at nine percent annually from May 20, 2014. Finicon was also awarded the costs of the suit. The ruling was delivered electronically on August 18, 2026.
Source: Nile Post