The High Court in Mbale has ordered the Uganda Wildlife Authority (UWA) to pay Shs160.8 million in damages to a man who was shot in the leg by a game ranger near Mount Elgon National Park in 2021.
In a judgment dated October 19, 2026, Justice Farouq Lubega held UWA liable for the actions of its employees and awarded Emmanuel Arapmwoko Shs10.877 million in special damages, Shs50 million in general damages and Shs100 million in punitive damages.
The court also ordered UWA to pay the costs of the application, bringing the total award to Shs160,877,500.
The incident occurred on October 27, 2021, as Arapmwoko returned home after visiting his stepfather, Muwaka Stephen, in Kaeplyo Village, Kween District.
According to court records, Arapmwoko had been sent by his father, Mwako William, to collect money from Muwaka. He arrived in the morning but found his stepfather away and waited until about 3pm, when Muwaka returned and told him he did not have the money.
Arapmwoko then began his journey home.
As he passed near Mount Elgon National Park, he encountered five UWA game rangers wearing green uniforms and carrying guns and sticks. The rangers were driving about 20 cattle towards the forest, apparently to impound them.
Court records indicate that Arapmwoko became frightened and attempted to flee. One of the rangers shot him in the right leg, although he could not identify the individual who fired the gun.
People who were following the rangers after their cattle had been impounded heard his cries and found him hiding. They helped him back to Kaeplyo Village, where a boda boda rider transported him to Kaporon Health Centre III.
He was subsequently referred to Kapchorwa Referral Hospital, where he spent two days before being transferred to Kumi Orthopaedic Centre for further treatment.
Medical records presented in court showed that Arapmwoko sustained serious injuries and continued to require medical care.
In his ruling, Justice Lubega found that the shooting violated Arapmwoko’s constitutional rights under Articles 24 and 44(a), which protect human dignity and prohibit torture and cruel, inhuman or degrading treatment.
The judge held UWA vicariously liable for the conduct of its game rangers, meaning the authority was legally responsible for the actions of its employees in the circumstances of the case.
The award includes special damages to compensate for specific losses, general damages for the harm suffered and punitive damages intended to punish wrongful conduct and deter similar behaviour.
The ruling places the financial liability for the shooting on UWA, following the court’s finding that the actions of its personnel violated Arapmwoko’s constitutional rights.
