The Commercial Division of the High Court has ruled in favour of Meera Investments Limited, owned by businessman Sudhir Ruparelia, in a long-running dispute with architectural firm FBW Group over the redevelopment of Kabira Country Club in Kampala.
The court found that FBW Group breached its contractual obligations by failing to deliver complete, workable architectural drawings — including required CAD files — for the project. The firm was also found to have abandoned the contract before its completion.
Justice was awarded to Meera Investments in the form of general damages, with the court finding the breach directly caused financial loss to the developer. A separate claim for exemplary damages was dismissed.
The dispute centred on FBW Group’s engagement as lead architect and design consultant for the ambitious transformation of Kabira Country Club — long a landmark leisure destination — into a modern hospitality and serviced-apartment complex. Meera Investments argued that FBW’s failure to deliver usable drawings stalled construction, resulting in costly delays and lost business opportunities. The court agreed.
FBW Group contested the claims, arguing its obligations had been substantially met and that outstanding fees were owed by Meera Investments. The court rejected those defences. FBW’s Group Managing Director Paul Moores and Director of Projects Nigel Tiling have not issued a public statement following the ruling.
The judgment brings to a close a protracted legal battle that had cast a shadow over one of Kampala’s most ambitious hospitality projects. With the legal dispute now resolved, work on the Kabira expansion is understood to have advanced substantially, reinforcing its status as a key addition to Uganda’s premium real-estate portfolio.
For Ruparelia and Meera Investments, the outcome marks another significant commercial litigation win in Uganda’s courts. Industry observers say the ruling sends a clear signal to professionals in the built environment: contractual obligations must be honoured in full, and delivering fit-for-purpose, workable drawings is a non-negotiable professional standard.
The case is also expected to shape how future construction consultancy agreements are drafted — particularly around the handover of digital files and the timing of milestone payments.
