Letters of administration are legal documents issued by a court that grant an individual the
authority to manage and distribute the estate of a deceased person who either died without
a will (intestate) or whose will does not appoint an executor or if the nominated executor
cannot or will not fulfill their duties or has also passed away.
1. A death certificate is obtained from The National Identification Authority following
the demise of the intestate which is presented to the Administrator general in
oreder to obtain a death report reform from the AG.
2.A Death Report Form is obtained from the Office of the Administrator General (AG). AG
issues this Form at a fee of (2,000) Uganda Shillings, on presenting the death certificate and
a letter from the Local Council I (L.C) Chairman, in whose jurisdiction the deceased had a
fixed place of aboard. The form is submitted by way of a formal letter with the following
documents interalia attached.
a) a copy of the death certificate.
b) a copy of the Will (if deceased left a Will).
c) National ID of the deceased.
d) Notification of death (if the deceased died outside Uganda).
e) Marriage Certificate (if applicable)
3.Family Meeting
Held at AG’s office or a delegate (e.g., CAO, Town Clerk).
Purpose: confirm death, identify heirs/beneficiaries, verify estate details, and agree on a
suitable administrator.
Minutes of the meeting are drafted and signed.
4.Determine Eligibility to Apply.
Section 186 OF THE succession act1, is to the effect that letters of administration shall not
be granted to minors or someone with a mental illness and that court discretion on whom
to grant letters of administration .
Section 199 of the succession act2, the surviving spouse is to have priority in the
administration of the deceased estate.
1
Cap. 268
2
Cap. 268
In the case of Cissy Nabakara v. Alexandria Kalembe 3, the court addressed the issue of
letters of administration, emphasizing the widow's priority in administering her late
husband's estate. This case reinforces the principle that a widow has the first priority to
administer the estate of her intestate husband, and any attempts by other relatives to
obtain letters of administration without proper legal procedures, such as issuing a citation,
may be deemed unlawful
5.Obtain a Certificate of No Objection (If Required)
If the chosen person is not the deceased’s widower/widow, he/she must first obtain a
Certificate of No Objection from the Administrator General’s office. This involves submitting
a request to the Administrator General, who reviews the estate and the applicant’s
suitability.
The administrative requirement to obtain a Certificate of No Objection is based on practice
and internal regulations developed under the authority given to the Administrator General
by the Act.
This certificate is valid for only 6 months
After that, proceed to the Administrator General‘s Office and open a file for the estate of
the deceased..
Gather Necessary Documents
Death certificate of the deceased.
Proof of relationship to the deceased (e.g., marriage or birth certificate).
List of the deceased’s assets and liabilities.
Applicant’s identification documents.
Consent from other eligible administrators (if applicable).
3
(Civil Appeal No. 27 of 2014)
Purpose: These documents verify the applicant’s legitimacy and provide the court with a
comprehensive view of the estate.
File a Petition in Court
After this the person given the Certificate of no objection will petition Court for a grant
of Letters of Administration. The petition should be in English.
The petition must be supported by a Summary of Evidence, list of documents, witnesses and
authorities that the petitioner intends to rely on
The Court in which to file is determined by the estimate of the pecuniary value of the estate.
If the value of the estate is 50 million or more, apply to High Court.
If the value of the estate is between 20 million and 50 million, apply to the Chief
Magistrate Court.
If the value of the estate is 20 million or less, apply to the Magistrate Grade 1 Court.
In the Petition:
State the time and place of the deceased’s death.
Attach a death certificate
State the Children and other relatives of the deceased and their respective
residences.
State the right on which the Petitioner founds his claim.(The relationship of the
Petitioner with the deceased)
Name the property left by the deceased and also state that the property is within the
jurisdiction of the Court where the application is filed.
State the estimated value of the estate.
State that the Petition is consented to by all the beneficiaries and is not objected by
the Administrator General.
Attach minutes of the family meeting and the Certificate of No Objection.
Indicate that the Petitioners are above 18 years, fit and proper persons to apply for
the same and that are desirous of administering the estate.
The petition needs to be signed by the petitioners and verified by either a
Magistrate, Judge or Commissioner of Oaths.
The Petition should also be accompanied by a declaration by the petitioner.
In the declaration, the petitioners swears to administer the estate lawfully, exhibit a
true and perfect inventory (report) as per the la
When filing the petition in court, the requisite filing fees (UGX 6,000) must be paid in the
bank and evidence of payment attached to the petition.
Publication and Waiting Period
The application (Petition) is filed together with a Notice of Application for grant of Letters
of Administration
When the application has been duly filed and the Notice of application signed by either a
Magistrate, Chief Magistrate, Registrar or Deputy Registrar, the Applicants are required to
advertise the notice in the Uganda gazette and a Local Newspaper for a minimum of 14 days
and Any person who wants to object to the grant of Letters of Administration must notify
the Court advertising the application for letters of Administration within 14 days from the
time the application is made.
Any person (with a good cause) objecting to the application can lodge a caveat to that effect
The Applicant has to a file a copy of the newspaper that has the advert with Court.
afile an of identification form duly verified by the Area Chairperson L.C.I, an introduction
letter from L.C.I and also a copy of the Administration Bond.
The Applicant is then given a date on when to appear for identification.
Where a caveat is lodged, Court shall not grant Letters of Administration until it has heard
the person objecting, and determine whether or not the person has a good cause for
objection
If there is no reasonable cause, Court will proceed to grant Letters of Administration
Where no caveat has been lodged, the Applicant will be identified by either a Magistrate,
Chief Magistrate, Registrar or Deputy Registrar depending on the Court filed after 14 days of
the advert
Court Hearing and Grant of Letters
Court if satisfied will make the applicant sign an Administration bond and then proceed to
grant Letters of Administration
Section 259 of the succession 4act provides that letters of administration shall be only
grnated after 14days upon the demise of the intestate.
