The Supreme Court has handed businessman Patrick Bitature a much-needed pause in his long and bruising legal fight with South African investment firm Vantage Mezzanine Fund II Partnership.
In a ruling delivered on October 2, 2025, Justice Elizabeth Musoke temporarily stopped Vantage from moving to seize Bitature’s assets over a disputed USD 10 million loan.
This decision does not end the case. Instead, it buys time for one of Uganda’s most prominent businessmen, allowing him to fight on as the highest court prepares to hear the bigger arguments.
How the dispute began
In 2014, one of Bitature’s companies, Simba Properties Investment Company Ltd, took out a USD 10 million loan from Vantage.
To secure the deal, Bitature, his wife Carol, and three other Simba Group companies—Simba Telecom, Elgon Terrace Hotel, and Linda Properties—guaranteed repayment.
They also pledged prime properties and shares in Simba Group firms as collateral.
Things went sour when Vantage accused Bitature’s companies of defaulting.
The matter was referred to international arbitration in London, where a tribunal in 2023 ordered Simba Properties and its guarantors to honour the loan.
This ruling, known as an arbitral award, gave Vantage the right to recover its money, but to enforce it in Uganda, it still needed the blessing of local courts.
The 2022 Twist
Before the arbitration award, Vantage had already tried to recover the loan by advertising some of Bitature’s properties for auction.
But in May 2022, Uganda’s High Court blocked the move, declaring Vantage an unlicensed moneylender. That ruling briefly saved Bitature, but Vantage appealed and later succeeded in reasserting its rights through arbitration.
By late 2023, Vantage was back in the Ugandan courts, this time armed with the arbitration award.
The High Court quickly issued orders stopping Bitature from selling or altering his assets, clearing the path for Vantage to enforce the award.
A blow in the Court of Appeal
Bitature tried to challenge the enforcement in the Court of Appeal, but in August 2025, the judges struck out his case.
They ruled that under Uganda’s Arbitration and Conciliation Act, such appeals were not allowed at that stage. That decision gave Vantage the green light to pursue enforcement in Uganda.
With the clock ticking, Bitature rushed to the Supreme Court, filing three urgent requests: permission to appeal, a full suspension of enforcement, and, most urgently, a temporary order to freeze everything while the bigger applications were being considered.
What the Supreme Court said
Letters to My Younger Self: Winnie Nakimuli—"You Are Worthy Simply Because You Exist"Justice Musoke ruled in Bitature’s favour on the temporary freeze.
She noted that Bitature had already filed a valid appeal and that there was a real danger Vantage could move to seize assets before the court heard the substantive applications.
Vantage’s lawyers argued there was no immediate threat, but the judge disagreed, saying the very act of fighting the freeze showed Vantage was ready to enforce.
She explained that interim orders like this one are meant to “preserve the status quo”—in other words, keep things as they are until the court makes a final decision.
The ruling means that Vantage cannot take further action on the loan for now.
However, it is only a temporary measure. The bigger case—whether Bitature’s appeal can proceed and whether a full suspension of enforcement will be granted—is still to be heard.
Why This Matters
For Bitature, this ruling is a lifeline. It stops Vantage from immediately seizing properties tied to his Simba Group, which spans telecoms, real estate, and hospitality.
But it is not a permanent victory. If the Supreme Court eventually sides with Vantage, enforcement will resume, and Bitature could lose some of his most prized assets.
The case also shines a spotlight on Uganda’s investment climate.
International investors argue that enforcing arbitral awards is crucial to protect their money and keep Uganda attractive for business.
But local critics point out that such awards can crush domestic companies, especially when they involve foreign lenders and disputes resolved outside Uganda.
The Bigger Picture
This battle has been running for more than a decade and has swung back and forth.
In 2022, Bitature celebrated when the High Court labelled Vantage an illegal moneylender. By 2023, Vantage struck back with the London arbitration award.
In 2025, the Court of Appeal sided with Vantage, and now the Supreme Court has given Bitature temporary protection.
For now, the businessman lives to fight another day.
But the question remains: when Uganda’s highest court finally rules on the substance of the case, will Patrick Bitature keep control of his empire or will Vantage’s long quest to recover its $10 million finally succeed?
