A Concerned citizen Brian Kasajja has petitioned the High Court seeking to have all monies in Uganda abolished on ground that they are unlawful because they bear an electronic signature of a statutory and constitutionally unauthorized person.
In his petition filed before the High Court Mukono, Kasajja is seeking a declaration that the continued circulation of Bank Notes signed by the Deputy Governor Bank of Uganda Dr Michael Atingi-Ego is unlawful , irrational and a nullity at law.
He also wants an order quashing all the currency bank notes of denominations of 1,000, 2000, 5,000, 10,000, 20,000 and 50,000 signed by Atingi-Ego on the basis that they are not a legal tender on their face value in law as they bear an electronic signature of a statutory and constitutionally unauthorized person.
In the same suit, Kasajja is seeking a declaration proclaiming that the Ugandan Shilling Currency Bank Notes in continuous public circulation bearing the electronic signature of the late Governor Prof.Dr.Emmanuel Mutebile are not legal tender.
He says the late Governor’s electronic signature is currently invalid in law on account that there is no survivorship or inheritance attached to it upon death of the signature holder, and it is mandatorily liable to be revoked upon the death of the maker under the provision of section 69(a) of the Electronic Signatures Act, 2011.
After the death of Mutebile on 23rd January 2022, the Senior Economist Dr Atingi Ego was appointed as his Deputy Governor of the Bank of Uganda,on 29th March 2020 and has since then been the signatory on the Ugandan currencies.
The records before Court indicate that on 18th December 2023, Kasajja keenly realized and critically observed that there were Ugandan shilling currency notes in continued circulation bearing the signature of the Deputy Governor Dr Atingi Ego and not the Governor as it should have been required by law.
Kasajja adds that upon the death of a Governor, a Deputy Governor has no statutory authority under Section 3(2) of the Bank of Uganda to sign on the currency as the former’s roles is limited to the absence of a Governor from office ( not death).
He asks court to immediately dispose off his petition as the continued alleged violation affect him and other Ugandans who trade with the shillings both physically and electronically within the country and beyond it’s borders.
