[2008] UGHC 114
The court found that the defendant failed to supply the tractor as agreed and did not refund the full purchase price. The only evidence before the court was that of the second plaintiff, which was accepted as uncontroverted. The sum claimed in the plaint was UGX 7,500,000, and the plaintiffs were bound by this...
Source-derived case information.
- Citation
- [2008] UGHC 114
- Parties
- Plaintiff: Lubang Benedict; Plaintiff: Olal Obong Andrew; Defendant: Komakech Richard Ogaba
- Court
- High Court of Uganda
- Jurisdiction
- Uganda
- Case Number
- Civil Suit No. 37 of 2006
- Procedural Posture
- Civil Suit / Judgment
- Outcome
- judgment_for_plaintiff
- Legal Topics
- Breach of Contract, Sale of Goods, Refund of Purchase Price
- Source Language
- en
Source-derived case record
Summary, issues, holding and outcome
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Parties
Lubang Benedict
Plaintiff
Olal Obong Andrew
Plaintiff
Komakech Richard Ogaba
Defendant
Procedural Posture
Civil Suit / Judgment
Legal Issues
- 1 Whether the defendant breached the contract for supply of a tractor by failing to deliver the tractor as agreed.
- 2 Whether the plaintiffs are entitled to a refund of the purchase price paid for the tractor.
- 3 Whether the plaintiffs are entitled to general damages for breach of contract.
Ratio Decidendi
The court found that the defendant failed to supply the tractor as agreed and did not refund the full purchase price. The only evidence before the court was that of the second plaintiff, which was accepted as uncontroverted. The sum claimed in the plaint was UGX 7,500,000, and the plaintiffs were bound by this amount. No evidence was adduced for general damages, so none were awarded. The court held that the plaintiffs were entitled to a refund of UGX 7,500,000, with interest at the commercial rate of 22% per annum from 1st December 2005 until payment in full, as the tractor was intended for commercial agricultural use. Costs of the suit were also awarded to the plaintiffs.
Court Disposition
judgment_for_plaintiff
Orders
- Judgment entered for the plaintiffs against the defendant for UGX 7,500,000.
- Interest at 22% per annum on UGX 7,500,000 from 1st December 2005 until payment in full.
Full Case Text
Judgment text and source record
1 paragraphs
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{\b\dbch\af12\insrsid16135321\charrsid10839895 \hich\af0\dbch\af12\loch\f0 IN THE HIGH COURT OF UGANDA AT GULU \par \hich\af0\dbch\af12\loch\f0 HCT \hich\f0 \endash \loch\f0 02 \hich\f0 \endash \loch\f0 CV \hich\f0 \endash \loch\f0 CS \hich\f0 \endash \loch\f0 0037 \hich\f0 \endash \loch\f0 2006 \par {\listtext\pard\plain\b\dbch\af12\insrsid16135321\charrsid10839895 \hich\af0\dbch\af12\loch\f0 1.\tab}}\pard \qj \fi-360\li720\ri0\sl360\slmult1\widctlpar\jclisttab\tx720\aspalpha\aspnum\faauto\ls1\adjustright\rin0\lin720\itap0\pararsid399860 { \b\dbch\af12\insrsid16135321\charrsid10839895 \hich\af0\dbch\af12\loch\f0 LUBANG BENEDICT \par {\listtext\pard\plain\b\dbch\af12\insrsid16135321\charrsid10839895 \hich\af0\dbch\af12\loch\f0 2.\tab}\hich\af0\dbch\af12\loch\f0 OLAL OBONG ANDREW<<<<<}{\b\dbch\af12\insrsid399860\charrsid10839895 \hich\af0\dbch\af12\loch\f0 <<<<<}{ \b\dbch\af12\insrsid16135321\charrsid10839895 \hich\af0\dbch\af12\loch\f0 <<<<<PLAINTIFFS \par }\pard \qc \li360\ri0\sl360\slmult1\widctlpar\aspalpha\aspnum\faauto\adjustright\rin0\lin360\itap0\pararsid399860 {\b\dbch\af12\insrsid16135321\charrsid10839895 \hich\af0\dbch\af12\loch\f0 VERSUS \par }\pard \qj \li360\ri0\sl360\slmult1\widctlpar\aspalpha\aspnum\faauto\adjustright\rin0\lin360\itap0\pararsid399860 {\b\dbch\af12\insrsid16135321\charrsid10839895 \hich\af0\dbch\af12\loch\f0 KOMAKECH RICHARD OGABA<<<<}{ \b\dbch\af12\insrsid399860\charrsid10839895 \hich\af0\dbch\af12\loch\f0 <<<<<<<}{\b\dbch\af12\insrsid16135321\charrsid10839895 \hich\af0\dbch\af12\loch\f0 <DEFENDANT \par \par }\pard \qc \li360\ri0\sl360\slmult1\widctlpar\aspalpha\aspnum\faauto\adjustright\rin0\lin360\itap0\pararsid399860 {\b\ul\dbch\af12\insrsid16135321\charrsid10839895 \hich\af0\dbch\af12\loch\f0 BEFORE: HON. JUSTICE REMMY K. KASULE \par }\pard \qj \li360\ri0\sl360\slmult1\widctlpar\aspalpha\aspnum\faauto\adjustright\rin0\lin360\itap0\pararsid399860 {\b\dbch\af12\insrsid16135321\charrsid10839895 \par \hich\af0\dbch\af12\loch\f0 JUDGMENT \par }{\dbch\af12\insrsid16135321\charrsid10839895 \par \tab \tab \hich\af0\dbch\af12\loch\f0 Bo\hich\af0\dbch\af12\loch\f0 th plaintiffs sued the defendant for shs 7,500,000/= principal sum and general damages for breach of contract. \par }{\dbch\af12\insrsid15430074\charrsid10839895 \tab \tab \hich\af0\dbch\af12\loch\f0 In a written statement of defence filed in court on 29.12.2006, the defendant admitted owing money to one of the plaintiffs, but not in the amo\hich\af0\dbch\af12\loch\f0 unt the plaintiffs claim in the plaint. \par \tab \tab }{\dbch\af12\insrsid11678776\charrsid10839895 \hich\af0\dbch\af12\loch\f0 The defendant, though served with court process for the hearing date, never appeared in court and gave no reason for being absent and so the hearing proceeded in his absence.}{\dbch\af12\insrsid15430074\charrsid10839895 \par }{\dbch\af12\insrsid11678776\charrsid10839895 \tab \tab }{\dbch\af12\insrsid14906670\charrsid10839895 \hich\af0\dbch\af12\loch\f0 The second plaintiff testified and wa\hich\af0\dbch\af12\loch\f0 s the only witness for plaintiff\hich\f0 \rquote \loch\f0 s case.}{\dbch\af12\insrsid11678776\charrsid10839895 \par }{\dbch\af12\insrsid14906670\charrsid10839895 \tab \tab \hich\af0\dbch\af12\loch\f0 His testimony was to the effect that the defendant was their personal friend and in September, 2005, they both paid shs.13,500,000/= in cash to defendant being the cost of a tractor to be supplied to them from }{\dbch\af12\insrsid399860\charrsid10839895 \hich\af0\dbch\af12\loch\f0 Uni\hich\af0\dbch\af12\loch\f0 ted }{\dbch\af12\insrsid14906670\charrsid10839895 \hich\af0\dbch\af12\loch\f0 Kingdom by the defendant through some other third party contacts of the defendant. Defendant undertook to supply the tractor by December, 2005. \par }{\dbch\af12\insrsid89925\charrsid10839895 \tab \tab \hich\af0\dbch\af12\loch\f0 The defendant never supplied the tractor and plaintiffs demanded for refund of the money. Defendant only\hich\af0\dbch\af12\loch\f0 refunded shs 5,500,000/= to first plaintiff. A balance of shs 8,000,000/= remained unpaid. \par \tab \tab \hich\af0\dbch\af12\loch\f0 Plaintiffs denied that the defendant had refunded any further sums of money. \par \tab \tab \hich\af0\dbch\af12\loch\f0 Defence did not appear at the hearing and adduced no evidence to }{\dbch\af12\insrsid928698\charrsid10839895 \hich\af0\dbch\af12\loch\f0 controvert the}{\dbch\af12\insrsid89925\charrsid10839895 \hich\af0\dbch\af12\loch\f0 ev\hich\af0\dbch\af12\loch\f0 idence of the second plaintiff. Court accepts the said evidence \par }{\dbch\af12\insrsid16135321\charrsid10839895 \tab \tab }{\dbch\af12\insrsid928698\charrsid10839895 \hich\af0\dbch\af12\loch\f0 However the sum claimed in the plaint is shs 7,500,000/= and not shs 8,000,000/= testified to by the second plaintiff. It is the claim of shs 7,500,000/=}{\dbch\af12\insrsid2454678\charrsid10839895 \hich\af0\dbch\af12\loch\f0 that was served upon the defendan\hich\af0\dbch\af12\loch\f0 t and not shs 8,000,000/=. The }{\dbch\af12\insrsid1334135\charrsid10839895 \hich\af0\dbch\af12\loch\f0 Plaint was never amended. The plaintiffs are bound by their pleadings.}{ \dbch\af12\insrsid16135321\charrsid10839895 \par }{\dbch\af12\insrsid1334135\charrsid10839895 \tab \tab \hich\af0\dbch\af12\loch\f0 No evidence was given as to the claim for general damages. None are thus awarded. \par \tab \tab \hich\af0\dbch\af12\loch\f0 Judgment is therefore entered for both plaintiffs against the def\hich\af0\dbch\af12\loch\f0 endant for shs 7,500,000/= being the unrefunded balance of the purchase price money paid by the plaintiffs to the defendant for a }{\dbch\af12\insrsid16588205\charrsid10839895 \hich\af0\dbch\af12\loch\f0 tractor that was never supplied.}{ \dbch\af12\insrsid1334135\charrsid10839895 \par }{\dbch\af12\insrsid16588205\charrsid10839895 \tab \tab \hich\af0\dbch\af12\loch\f0 As the tractor, if supplied, was going to be used for commercial agriculture purposes, acco\hich\af0\dbch\af12\loch\f0 rding to the evidence of the second plaintiff, it is only fair that the plaintiffs are awarded interest at the commercial rate of 22% p.a. on the sum}{\dbch\af12\insrsid14444814\charrsid10839895 \hich\af0\dbch\af12\loch\f0 }{ \dbch\af12\insrsid16588205\charrsid10839895 \hich\af0\dbch\af12\loch\f0 of shs 7,500,000/=. It is so ordered. The said interest is to run from 1}{\super\dbch\af12\insrsid16588205\charrsid10839895 \hich\af0\dbch\af12\loch\f0 st}{ \dbch\af12\insrsid16588205\charrsid10839895 \hich\af0\dbch\af12\loch\f0 December, 2005, when the trac\hich\af0\dbch\af12\loch\f0 tor was to be supplied, till payment in full. \par \tab \tab \hich\af0\dbch\af12\loch\f0 The plaintiffs are awarded the costs of the suit. \par \par }{\dbch\af12\insrsid399860\charrsid10839895 \par \par }{\dbch\af12\insrsid16588205\charrsid10839895 \hich\af0\dbch\af12\loch\f0 ......................................... \par \hich\af0\dbch\af12\loch\f0 Remmy K. Kasule \par \hich\af0\dbch\af12\loch\f0 Judge \par \hich\af0\dbch\af12\loch\f0 28}{\super\dbch\af12\insrsid16588205\charrsid10839895 \hich\af0\dbch\af12\loch\f0 th}{\dbch\af12\insrsid16588205\charrsid10839895 \hich\af0\dbch\af12\loch\f0 November, 2008 \par }{\dbch\af12\insrsid1334135\charrsid10839895 \tab \tab \par }}