Katatumba Family sues Barclays Bank over failure to pay 21m UGX Death Benefits

For many years, H.E Prof. Boney Mwebesa Katatumba maintained a premium/prestige account with Barclays Bank Uganda Limited, which offered him a Life Insurance benefit of 21M UGX in the event he passes on.

Every month, Barclays Bank diligently deducted a monthly prestige fee of 66,500 UGX from H.E Prof. Boney Mwebesa Katatumba’s Barclays Bank account.

Sadly, H.E Prof. Boney Mwebesa Katatumba passed away on the 23rd of February 2017. Immediately, Barclays wrote to the Katatumba family consoling and assuring them, that they will indeed pay the family the 21m UGX of H.E Prof. Boney Mwebesa Katatumba’s death benefits and an additional 800,000 UGX of which they pledged towards the burial arrangements.

The Barclays Bank representatives went on to even announce their written offer, to the crowds that attended H.E Prof. Boney Mwebesa Katatumba’s mass at Rubaga Cathedral.

Late Boney Katatumba

After the burial, the Katatumba family followed up with Barclays Bank on their 800,000K UGX pledge and the 21M UGX death benefits that they were entitled to.

To their complete shock and astonishment, Barclays Bank back tracked in a letter to the family stating that, H.E Prof. Boney Mwebesa Katatumba had passed the insurance age of 70 years and, that Barclays Bank would now not be paying a cent including their pledge.

When the family confronted them with the obvious questions of why H.E Prof. Boney Mwebesa Katatumba was not notified of this before his passing? And why, Barclays Bank has continued to collect its 66,500 UGX prestige fee from his account to date, 2 years later, knowing he was not eligible according to them?

Barclays then, in another turn of events, offered the Katatumba family 10 Million UGX exgratia instead of the whole 21M UGX.

The Katatumba Family rejected the 10M UGX offer and insisted that they were entitled to the entire amount their beloved H.E Prof. Boney Mwebesa Katatumba was owed.

After 2 years of numerous calls, written communications and even an intention to sue letter, all of which were ignored by Barclays Bank, the family have resorted to the courts of law seeking from Barclays Bank;

– 21M UGX for the death benefits

– Interest on the 21M UGX at 25% per annum from the date H.E. Prof. Boney Mwebesa Katatumba passed on.

– General damages.

– Interest on the general damages at the rate of court at 8%per annum from the date of final judgment, until payment in full and, Costs of the suit.