Govt develops simplified succession law guide

The Uganda Law Reform Commission (ULRC) has developed a simplified guide to create awareness about the Succession (Amendment) Act, 2022.
The User Guide to Succession Laws in Uganda will enable Ugandans fully engage in the implementation of the law, according to ULRC. 

While launching the user guide in Kampala last Friday, Justice minister Norbert Mao said many Ugandans are battling succession disputes due to the lack of relevant information on how succession is executed as well as reluctance to write Wills among others. 
“Many people are not aware of the repercussions and the weight of the loss if this succession matter is not well handled. If there is no Will, chances are high that the family will not have a shared future,” Mr Mao said.

“Succession is not only about distribution of property, the Will left behind helps relatives to have curative solutions to ensuring inter-generational wealth and legacy of the deceased,” he added.

The minister further commended ULRC for developing the user guide that will enable the locals to resolve succession disputes through the law.
“The Succession [Amendment] Act, 2022 is one of the impactful laws and I want to thank the Law Reform Commission for breaking it in a more understandable way. I am very sure that the administrator general’s role is now simplified,” he said.

Mr Charles Kasibayo, the administrator general, said the user guide is a milestone in ending succession disputes originating from ignorance of the laws.
“In this Act, a Will is one of the weapons to ease the management of estates. Let us use the guide to write our Wills so that we define our wishes in a written document,” Mr Kasibayo said.

He added: “In the Will, define where you want to be buried, who must share on your property and by what percentage and also explain the relationship with the people in the Will. If we make use of this user guide we shall not have more challenges related to succession matters.” 

Ms Pamela Kalyegira, the chairperson of ULRC, said the guide was prepared with support from the Governance and Security Programme.
“The amendments brought in new changes in the law. These need to be explained so that they are appreciated by the users. Therefore, the user guide is a reliable tool for all those seeking guidance on matters of succession,” Ms Kalyegira said.