The mSME Garage

The mSME Garage The mSME Garage offers free Legal, Accounting and Tax info and support to micro and small businesses in Uganda. Sign up today.

mSME garage is a brain child of Barefoot Law, a Non-Profit, Social enterprise dedicated towards using Information Technology towards improving access to justice and the Law. The objective of the Barefoot Law initiative is to provide Free Legal consultations and services, develop information technology and social media solutions to help in breaking current bottlenecks currently faced in the Justice

, Law and Order Sector especially Access to Justice. We hope that with the mSME garage initiative, we’ll be able to target business owners and use our broad skill set to help them build healthier businesses.

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...
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.

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 annoye...
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.

CAN PEOPLE WHO DO NOT KNOW ENGLISH SIGN CONTRACTS?Patu has been contacted by a rich investor to buy the land that her fa...
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.

👤Citizenship (Chapter 3)Who is Ugandan?🇺🇬The Constitution says you can be a citizen by birth, registration, or naturaliz...
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.

THE MINISTRY ISN'T PAYING ME MY MONEY FOR A SERVICE. CAN I TAKE THEM TO SMALL CLAIMS COURT?Julius, who is demanding a go...
02/01/2026

THE MINISTRY ISN'T PAYING ME MY MONEY FOR A SERVICE. CAN I TAKE THEM TO SMALL CLAIMS COURT?
Julius, who is demanding a government Ministry, UGX. 7 million shillings, has been very frustrated and he swears all ways to get back his money have not yielded any positive results.
He has been tossed around and told to go back every day whenever he goes to the office to ask for his money. A friend to whom he narrated the story advised him to go and file his claim at the small claims court because the money he is demanding is not more than 10 million shillings.
Julius is so confused about what to do exactly and is wondering where he needs to report this matter, so he is helped.
WHAT DOES THE LAW SAY?
The small claims court is by law mandated to handle matters involving money not more than 10 million shillings.
Whereas the money Julius demands from the ministry is 7 million, which falls within the value that the small claims court can handle, he cannot file his complaint at the small claims court.
Matters involving government ministries can only be filed and handled at the other regular courts of law, and not necessarily the small claims court. The small claims court handles matters involving individuals and companies as defendants.
Julius, therefore, can only report and file his complaint against the ministry at the other Courts and not the small claims court.

MY TENANT OWES ME over UGX.8 Million, and JUST DOESN'T WANT TO PAYAllessa, who has been renting a one-bedroom apartment ...
31/12/2025

MY TENANT OWES ME over UGX.8 Million, and JUST DOESN'T WANT TO PAY
Allessa, who has been renting a one-bedroom apartment at 850,000ugx per month in Kyanja, has had a few financial challenges, and she hasn't been able to pay her landlord his money for about 8 months now.
She tried to get away with it simply because she has been a very good and long-time tenant to her landlord over the past 7 years.
The Landlord has had enough of the stories from Allesa and is wondering what he can do now to recover his money from this tenant.
WHAT DOES THE LAW SAY?
Her landlord has a right to recover his money from Allesa, under the law, because that is a business that he derives his sustenance from.
First step: The landlord is supposed to first issue Allessa with an eviction notice, which is meant to run for 30days. In this period, he can hope that Allessa will get money and pay up and eventually leave the house within the period specified in the notice.
Step 2: If the 30 days end and Allessa hasn't paid up and hasn't left the house, the landlord can now pursue relief from the courts of law. If the money is less than 10 million, the landlord can lodge his complaint at the small claims court because these are courts meant to entertain matters involving money of not more than 10 million.
It is important to note that the Landlord cannot just force the tenant out of the house; he is supposed to follow the right procedure to get the tenant out and get any money the tenant is meant to pay them.
Where the landlord just forces the tenant out without necessarily following the law, the tenant has a right to get relief from the courts of law or an equivalent of 3 months' rent payment.
Reach us on 0757925199 if you have any questions.

Mariam rented out her apartment room to Kato, but Kato stopped paying rent six months ago. She tried to reach out to him...
29/12/2025

Mariam rented out her apartment room to Kato, but Kato stopped paying rent six months ago. She tried to reach out to him, but he's been ignoring her calls and he even changed the locks on the apartment. Mariam knows he has the money, he just doesnt want to clear the rent. wants to know if she can sue Kato for the unpaid rent through the Small Claims Court.
WHAT DOES THE LAW SAY?
Mariam can definitely sue Kato for unpaid rent through the Small Claims Court. The Small Claims Procedure (SCP) is designed to handle such cases quickly and efficiently. Mariam should start by sending Kato a formal demand notice, giving him 14 days to pay. If Kato doesn't respond, Mariam can file her case at the Small Claims Court nearest to her or where Kato lives.
The court will then issue summons to Kato, and if he ignores them, Mariam can win the case by default. This means the court will only consider Mariam’s side of the story and give judgement in her favour. She can then decide to ask court to sell the property of the tenant to recover her rental arrears.

CAN I SUE THE HOSPITAL I I WAS GIVEN A WRONG DIAGNOSIS?When Julie went to hospital, she was expecting to meet people who...
26/12/2025

CAN I SUE THE HOSPITAL I I WAS GIVEN A WRONG DIAGNOSIS?
When Julie went to hospital, she was expecting to meet people who are professionally trained and skilled above the casual standards of her aunty who knew how to mix things to deal with small coughs and flu here and there. So she took the doctor’s word as Bible truth when he told her that she had stomach worms and an infection. She religiously took tabs until she was as thin as a stick then her aunty took her to another doctor who told her that it was a different thing. She now fears what else would have happened to her and she wants to know if the doctor can be made to pay for what he did to her.
WHAT DOES THE LAW SAY?
The law recognizes how powerful the word of a professional is and it places a responsibility on the professionals so that the people who rely on them are not taken advantage of.
In law, we call this a duty of care. This means that if you are in a position where others should rely on you with a certain degree of unquestionable confidence, then you have a duty of care to act in good faith towards them. If you do not do this, you will be deemed to be NEGLIGENT. When we say someone is negligent, we say that they have a duty of care, and they have not kept that duty faithfully. If they are professionals, we call it PROFESSIONAL NEGLIGENCE.
If you relied on your medical professional’s advice concerning your medical condition, and it turns out that it was wrong, you have the right to bring a case for professional negligence; for breaching the duty of care that they owe you since you trust their opinion without questioning!

HOW DO ILLITERATE PEOPLE SIGN AGREEMENTS?"530 millions!" That was more money than Nalumansi had ever seen or made in her...
23/12/2025

HOW DO ILLITERATE PEOPLE SIGN AGREEMENTS?
"530 millions!" That was more money than Nalumansi had ever seen or made in her 65 years on earth. When Mugaga Jude offered her this ’deal of a lifetime’ for her 2 acres of land. She immediately agreed. He gave her a sack with 230 million in cash. The problem was that he wanted the deal in writing and she couldn't even write her own name. So she asked her grandson Emma to help her sign and even write the agreement to conclude the transaction. The grandson went ahead and signed on her behalf and the transaction was completed. Little did she know that the account number Emma put was his own and when the balance of 300 million was shared, it went straight to him.
Her neighbor has read the agreement and explained it to her today and she is confused about the rest of her money.
WHAT DOES THE LAW SAY?
According to the law, people who are unable to read or write the language in which a document is written are called Illiterate persons. These people are protected by the illiterate protection Act which protects them from being misled or defrauded when signing or making documents they cannot read or understand.
This law says that no person should sign a document on behalf of an illiterate person unless that person has read and explained the document for the illiterate person first and the illiterate person has confirmed that it contains their exact instructions. After this happens the illiterate person must mark the document (with a thumbprint), and the writer must include their full name and address to show they did everything according to the law..
If a person fails to do this or gives false information to the illiterate person then that person has committed an offence. So what Nalumansi’s grandson did was a crime and he can be arrested and prosecuted for it. If the Muggaga knew about it and also did not explain then he can be liable too.
Photo Credit: Photo by Globalgiving.org

MUST THE LC1 SIGN MY LAND AGREEMENT?When Wakwabubi went to buy land in Mutagubya village, things became chaotic. A land ...
22/12/2025

MUST THE LC1 SIGN MY LAND AGREEMENT?
When Wakwabubi went to buy land in Mutagubya village, things became chaotic. A land sale agreement was drawn up and signed by both the seller and Wakwabubi. Then the LC1 came rushing in on a boda and told everyone to stop what they were doing and leave. “Mbu” in his village, no one buys land without his stamp and signature. He snatched the agreement and tore it into pieces because there was nowhere for him to sign.
As we speak, Wakwabubi is on the edge of the village waiting for a refund, or for the seller to first pay the LC1 the fine for not involving him so they can proceed.
WHAT DOES THE LAW SAY?
According to the law, any contract needs 3 things to be valid. One person has to make an offer, and another needs to accept it, and there should be a price or something to make a deal over. (Offer, Acceptance and Price).
When it comes to buying and selling land, you need the buyer to make an offer, this offer has to be accepted by the seller and there must be money or something changing hands which forms the price. This is what makes a valid agreement.
The law also demands that you make sure that the land really belongs to the seller before you pay your money. (this is called due diligence).
There is no requirement for the LC1 to sign or make the agreement for it to be valid.
The reason why LC1 is required is to tell you if the seller is genuine and if the land is free from disputes and land wrangles and to confirm ownership but the LC1’s signature is NOT a legal requirement for a land sale to be valid.
So to avoid fraud and ‘buying air’, involve the LC1 during your land purchase.

WHAT DO I DO IF THE TENANT DOES NOT PAY RENT?It is not that Bosco was trying to cheat his landlord, things just became t...
19/12/2025

WHAT DO I DO IF THE TENANT DOES NOT PAY RENT?
It is not that Bosco was trying to cheat his landlord, things just became tough when he lost his job, and the pyramid scheme people cheated him of all his savings. So, after 10 years of faithfully paying his rent on time for his house on Fob Apartments, he started defaulting. His landlord tried reaching out to him but all in vain. So, the landlord decided to throw his property out of his building so that he can get another tenant to occupy the building.
Bosco found his last few belongings damaged by rain and thieves had taken the rest. Can he sue the landlord?
WHAT DOES THE LAW SAY?
In Uganda, both a landlord and tenant have rights when it comes to tenancy. For example, a landlord is supposed to leave a tenant alone as long as the tenant is paying his/her rent. However, when a tenant breaks the agreement either through behaving badly, doing what was not agreed to or failing to pay rent on time, the law allows a landlord to evict a tenant from the house.
This has to start with writing a letter called a default notice that tells the tenant that they have failed to pay or they have done something wrong and give them time to either fix it or to just leave the house at the time stated which should be not less than 30 days.
If after this letter (notice), the tenant refuses to leave the house, the law allows the landlord to enter the premises and take back possession in the presence of the area local council officials and the police.
As a tenant, if you are evicted without this notice, you can apply to court for compensation and damages for unlawful eviction.

17/12/2025

CONTRACTS IN THE GIG ECONOMY
You are entitled to a written contract.
While verbal Contracts are still contracts recognized by law. If you work for 6 months or more, your employer must give you a written contract. Demand for yours.
It is a contract of employment, NOT a contract of Salary.
Do not just flip to the page where your salary is. There are other things you are entitled to, like Leave (21 days a year), 48 -54 work hours per week, benefits like maternity leave and how and when you can be fired.
These are called TERMS OF EMPLOYMENT.

Address

Plot 1 Muwafu Road
Kampala

Opening Hours

Monday 08:30 - 16:30
Tuesday 08:30 - 16:30
Wednesday 08:30 - 16:30
Thursday 08:30 - 16:30
Friday 08:30 - 16:30

Telephone

+256392177405

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mSME garage is a brain child of Barefoot Law, a Non-Profit, Social enterprise dedicated towards using Information Technology towards improving access to justice and the Law. The objective of the mSMEGarage initiative is to provide Free Legal consultations and services, develop information technology and social media solutions to help in breaking current bottlenecks currently faced in the access to compliance and legal formalities for millions of individual and small businesses. We hope that with the mSME garage initiative, we’ll be able to target business owners and use our broad skill set to help them build healthier businesses.