The mSME Garage

17/08/2026

12/08/2026

Data Protection Compliance For Businesses.

11/08/2026

Unfair Competition In Business.

10/08/2026

Competition Law in Uganda.

06/08/2026

What are the rules of competition?

05/08/2026

Unfair Competition in the market.

07/01/2026

HAPPY NEW YEAR FROM US AT THE MSME GARAGE🎉!

WE HOPE YOU HAD A RESTFUL HOLIDAY WITH FRIENDS AND FAMILY.

WE HOPE YOU ARE ALL ENERGIZED FOR THE NEW YEAR.

WE ARE READY TO WORK WITH YOU ALL AND LOOK FORWARD TO THE WORK WE SHALL ACCOMPLISH TOGETHER THIS YEAR.

07/01/2026

THEY FIRED ME ON THE SPOT! Help me.
Betty is known as a "live wire" at the office. Everyone knows she is not to be annoyed. Sandra, the newcomer at their office, did not know this, so at breakfast, Sandra used Betty’s cup. When Betty realised this, she slapped Sandra and poured out her tea. Betty was immediately called by the Human Resource Officer and was dismissed from work. Betty is confused; she did not expect to be fired, and she wants to ask if they will at least give her salary until the year ends.
WHAT DOES THE LAW SAY?
What happened to Betty is referred to as summary dismissal in Employment law in Uganda.
Summary dismissal refers to the immediate termination of an employee’s contract by the employer without notice or with late notice and no payment in lieu of notice, usually because of a serious breach of contract or gross misconduct.
Gross misconduct could be :
• Theft or fraud at the workplace
• Gross insubordination
• Physical violence or assault
• Serious breach of company rules
• Wilful neglect of duties
OR other conduct amounting to a fundamental breach of the employment contract.
When someone is summarily dismissed, these are the rights they still can benefit from under the Employment Act:
1. The right to a fair hearing. This is where a hearing is conducted and the employee is given the right to defend themselves against the allegations made towards their dismissal.
2. The right to challenge the decision of the hearing in the labour office and the other courts of law.
It is important to note that when someone is summarily dismissed, they are not entitled to payment in lieu of notice.

06/01/2026

CAN PEOPLE WHO DO NOT KNOW ENGLISH SIGN CONTRACTS?
Patu has been contacted by a rich investor to buy the land that her father left her. This land is next to the road, so the investor is willing to give her a lot of money. Upon receiving the agreement to sell the land, it was written in English. Patu was scared to tell them that she did not fully understand what the contract was saying, so she just signed. Before she signed, the investor told her they would explain everything to her in Luganda after she had signed. Till now, they have not explained anything, and they have not even paid her. What can she do to challenge the legality of this contract?
WHAT DOES THE LAW SAY?
The Illiterates Protection Act, Chapter 78, governs how documents must be handled when one party is illiterate (i.e. cannot read or understand the language or script the document is written in).
This Act protects the rights of those who cannot read or write by putting checks to ensure the process of their signing documents is fair and inclusive.
The law provides that where a document is written in a language the person cannot understand, they may sign it by;
• First, appending his or her mark to the document (this could be a thumbprint or some other mark).
• Only after the mark is made may someone else write the name of the illiterate by way of signature.
• The person who writes the name (as a signature) must also write his or her own true and full name and address on the document, as a witness.
• That witness’s inscription implies that:
a) the writer of the name was instructed by the illiterate;
b) the document was read over and explained to the illiterate before the mark was appended;
c) The illiterate appended the mark after understanding what was explained.
Failure to do the above attracts a penalty of imprisonment up to 3 months or a fine of three hundred shillings.
However, in instances where it can be proved that the person intentionally did not translate the document or read the document to the illiterate person with the intention to defraud them, then this is a crime punishable with imprisonment of up to 15 years in prison, depending on the type of fraud.
Moreso, in cases where a document is written in a non-official language (not English), then the document will have to be accompanied with a certificate of translation if that document is to be relied on in any institution or court.

Reach us on 0757925199 for more information or any inquiries.

05/01/2026

👤Citizenship (Chapter 3)
Who is Ugandan?🇺🇬
The Constitution says you can be a citizen by birth, registration, or naturalization.
- If you are born in Uganda with at least one parent or grandparent who is or was a Ugandan citizen, then you automatically are a citizen by birth.
- If you are not a citizen by birth but have close ties to Uganda, such as being a spouse of Ugandan citizens, children adopted by Ugandans, or individuals who have lived in Uganda for a specified period. Then you can be a citizen by registration, but you have to apply for it.
- For foreigners who have legally resided in Uganda for a long time (usually 20 years, or 10 years for East Africans) and can show that they have good character, knowledge of local languages, and integration into Ugandan society. They must apply for citizenship by naturalisation.
Fun fact: The 1962 Constitution was stricter; many people of Asian descent who had lived in Uganda for generations were excluded.