The High Court in Luwero has issued an interim order restraining traders from trespassing on the premises of PRO Industries Limited or interfering with its operations amid a dispute over unpaid maize supplies worth more than Shs2.6 billion. The order, issued by Luwero High Court Judge Godfrey Himbaza, bars Lim Welo General Stores, its director Isma Mubiru, and their agents, employees, or anyone acting on their instructions from accessing or obstructing the company’s premises pending the hearing of the case.
The court specifically restrained the respondents from trespassing, blocking or obstructing the entrance and exit of the factory, parking trucks or other vehicles around the premises, sabotaging business operations, defaming the company or interfering with its employees, customers and suppliers.
The court has set September 3, 2026, to hear an application filed by PRO Industries against the traders, in which the company accuses the respondents of breach of contract, nuisance, trespass and defamation. The case follows a protest last Thursday in which more than 50 produce dealers gathered at the company’s premises in Ndibulungi Village, Luwero District, demanding payment for maize they said they had supplied to PRO Industries.
Some of the traders reportedly stripped off their shirts during the protest after what they described as repeated promises by the company to settle their outstanding payments failed to materialise. Mubiru, the director of Lim Welo General Stores, said he and other traders had supplied maize to PRO Industries but had not been paid, prompting them to resort to protests.
However, PRO Industries, through its lawyers, condemned the protests and rejected the traders’ demands, saying some of the amounts being claimed had been inflated. The company also alleged that its weighbridge staff had been threatened in an attempt to manipulate maize delivery records.
“We identified inflated figures in the suppliers’ statements and have received evidence concerning threats made to our weighbridge personnel in an attempt to manipulate records,” said Vasundhara Oswal, Founder and Executive Director of PRO Industries Limited. “We will not allow anybody to intimidate our employees or pressure this company into making payments based upon false or manipulated information,” she added.
PRO Industries said it had offered to pay 50 percent of the suppliers’ claims pending reconciliation of the disputed accounts, but the traders declined the offer. On Monday, Luwero District Deputy Resident District Commissioner Abel Bekunda attempted to mediate between the two sides, but the talks collapsed after the company’s lawyer presented the court order.
Bekunda subsequently urged PRO Industries to withdraw the case, arguing that pursuing the legal route could further escalate the dispute. He said the company disputes about Shs900 million of the amount claimed by the traders and wants the contested figure resolved before making further payments.Bekunda, however, appealed to the company to pay the undisputed Shs1.7 billion first, leaving the disputed balance to be resolved later.
Mubiru said the traders had agreed to pursue mediation as a way of resolving the dispute but were surprised when the company instead went to court. He argued that the court process could further delay payment and said the traders would use all legitimate means available to recover the money.
Mubiru maintained that Lim Welo General Stores is owed Shs2.6 billion, insisting that the amount is supported by delivery records and other documentation.
Despite the interim order, the traders have vowed to resume their protest, setting the stage for a possible confrontation over the court directive as the parties await the September 3 hearing-URN. Give us feedback on this story through our email: kamwokyatimes@gmail.com
