KAMPALA, Uganda— Billions of Ugandan shillings remain trapped in dormant mobile money and bank accounts belonging to deceased individuals, as families navigate a complex legal process to claim the funds, according to legal experts and government officials.
The Bank of Uganda did not respond to multiple requests for information on the total amount of unclaimed funds held as of 2025. However, in 2023, the central bank disclosed it held an estimated 70 billion shillings (approximately $18.4 million USD) from dormant mobile money accounts alone, having paid out only 268.7 million shillings in the two years since it began regulating mobile money platforms.
Legal expert Ivan Bwowe argues that a lack of public awareness regarding the procedures for accessing a deceased person’s assets is a significant contributor to family disputes and creates opportunities for fraud.
“People need to understand that it is not enough to be the next of kin or the wife; you need to have the legal authority to access the estate. That is why Wills and letters of administration are very important and ought to be sought by the right person,” Bwowe said. He clarified that while the next of kin serves as an initial point of contact, legal authority is paramount after death.
Uganda’s National Payment Systems Act of 2020 stipulates that an electronic money account with no registered transactions for nine consecutive months is deemed dormant. Issuers must notify the account holder a month prior to this. If inactivity persists for an additional six months, the account is closed, and the balance is transferred to the Bank of Uganda. Legitimate claimants, such as legal representatives or administrators of the deceased’s estate, have seven years from the transfer date to request a refund from the central bank. After this period, the unclaimed funds are moved to the Consolidated Fund.
“To reclaim such funds, a legally recognized administrator or representative must apply within seven years. The process requires presenting a death certificate, proof of relationship, and court-issued Letters of Administration or Probate,” the Act states.
Henry Kuloba Wesaka, the assistant administrator general in the Office of the Administrator General, explained that letters of administration are legal documents issued by the court granting authority to manage and distribute a deceased’s estate when no valid Will exists.
“In Uganda, only the person granted these letters can legally claim the assets, which include mobile money and bank savings. It becomes a criminal offense if you try to deal with a dead person’s property without letters of administration, and this can attract criminal sanctions,” Kuloba said.
He outlined the process at the Administrator General’s office, which begins with opening a file upon presentation of a death certificate from the National Identification and Registration Authority (NIRA) and proof of relationship. Family meetings are then held to identify estate managers and inform members of all the deceased’s property holdings.
“When the family has agreed on the people to administer the estate, a certificate of no objection is given to them to be taken to court, and there is no defined period for the procession since it largely depends on the nature of the family resolution,” Kuloba added.
The Administration of Estates Act and Succession Act further mandate that claimants provide valid proof of authority to access a deceased’s property, encompassing land and digital assets like mobile money accounts and bank savings.
Section 59 of the Financial Institutions Act of 2004 also dictates that unclaimed funds in bank accounts are transferred to the Bank of Uganda if the account holder does not claim them.
The protracted legal procedures involved in obtaining letters of administration or probate are cited as a major barrier for families seeking to access the funds, leaving significant sums of money dormant while beneficiaries navigate the bureaucratic and often time-consuming process.
