Court reinstates Nassali as UTB marketing manager

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The Civil Division of the High Court in Kampala has reinstated Claire Mugabi Nassali as the marketing manager of the Uganda Tourism Board (UTB).

Justice Esta Nambayo ruled that Nassali’s dismissal by UTB CEO Lily Ajarova was unlawful and procedurally flawed, ordering her reinstatement with full pay from the date of dismissal.

“The applicant’s dismissal was illegal, procedurally improper, and made in violation of the rules of natural justice as laid out in UTB’s Human Resource Manual, particularly because the CEO acted unilaterally without the Board approval or giving the applicant a fair hearing,” the judge ruled.

In a ruling dated April 7, 2025, the court also ordered UTB to pay Nassali sh5 million in general damages and costs of the suit.

The judge noted that UTB should follow principles of natural justice and provisions laid down in the UTB Human Resource Manual to investigate the alleged case of forgery of Nassali’s academic documents so as to bring the matter to its logical conclusion.

The court held that the power to dismiss staff lies with the Board, not the CEO, and that the method of dismissal via WhatsApp was irrational and humiliating.

The ruling was delivered in the presence of Maureen Mirembe, the lawyer representing Nassali and James Zeere, the lawyer representing UTB.

Court documents indicate that on May 28, 2024, Ajarova dismissed Nassali from office on the grounds that she procured employment with UTB by fraud and directed her to hand over all office property and desist from accessing UTB’s premises, a decision which was communicated to the applicant via messaging app WhatsApp.

On May 30, 2024, Ajarova sent out emails to all staff informing them that Nassali was no longer an employee of UTB and requested them to address all matters in the dismissed employee’s office to her directly.

The court heard that despite the applicant's objections, complaints, and concerns regarding Ajarova's alleged overstepping of her powers, disregard for due process, and questionable decisions that would negatively impact the applicant and UTB, Ajarova and UTB refused to reconsider their actions, leading to the lawsuit.