Entebbe Municipality Mayor Fabrice Brad Rulinda has suffered a major setback after the High Court dismissed his civil suit against Stanbic Bank Uganda. The ruling, delivered on March 16, 2026, by Justice Stephen Mubiru in the Commercial Division, confirmed that Rulinda’s dollar account was used to launder money linked to the M23 rebel group in the Democratic Republic of Congo.
The dispute centered on a 2017 transaction where US$73,262.50 (roughly 275 million shillings) from Green Global Corporation landed in Rulinda’s account. Stanbic froze the funds and reversed the credit after flagging it as suspicious under anti-money laundering rules. Rulinda sued to recover the money, claiming breach of contract, but the court sided with the bank. Evidence showed he acted as an intermediary in a gold deal indirectly connected to M23, and he admitted to overlooking red flags about the funds’ origins—a situation the judge called “wilful blindness” that met the legal standard for money laundering knowledge.
The decision reinforces banks’ duty to monitor and report dodgy transactions without facing liability for protecting the system. It also makes clear that civil courts won’t help recover proceeds from illegal activities, even without a prior criminal conviction. Rulinda, an NRM figure and businessman who has held the mayoral seat, now faces the financial hit and reputational damage from the findings. For Ugandans watching public officials, this case underscores how anti-money laundering laws apply across borders and how quickly courts can shut down attempts to reclaim tainted funds.
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