The Buganda Road Chief Magistrate’s Court based at City Hall Court has issued warrants of arrest against John Bagunywa Ssebutinde, the husband of International Court of Justice (ICJ) Judge Julia Sebutinde, and the project’s site supervisor, Joseph Wamala, in the long-running criminal case arising from the controversial Bugolobi apartment development.
The warrants, issued on June 17, 2026, direct any police officer to arrest the two accused and produce them before the Chief Magistrate’s Court at City Hall.
According to the court documents seen by this publication, the two are charged with failure to comply with an order stopping building operations, contrary to Section 39(1), (2) and (3) of the Building Control Act, Cap. 136.
The criminal case, instituted through a private prosecution, stems from allegations that the accused failed to comply with a stop order issued over construction of a multi-storey apartment building at Plot 8, Princess Anne Drive, Bugolobi.
The warrants represent the latest development in a dispute that has generated parallel civil and criminal proceedings over the project.
Earlier this year, the High Court dismissed an application seeking to block the criminal prosecution, with the court ruling that the issues raised by the accused should instead be determined during trial. The court further directed that the criminal proceedings proceed.
The civil proceedings have also continued to move against the developers.
On January 12, 2026, the High Court granted a temporary injunction halting all construction on the Bugolobi apartment project after finding that the residents had established a prima facie case challenging the legality of the development.
That injunction was subsequently renewed on June 16, 2026, by Registrar Kintu Simon Zirintusa, who ordered that the construction ban remain in force until the final determination of the main civil suit.
The substantive civil case has since been fixed for hearing before the High Court, where residents are challenging the approvals granted for the multi-storey apartment development and seeking permanent relief.
