ABC Capital Bank Sues Former Cranes Captain Andy Mwesigwa Over Defamation

ABC Capital Bank has sued former Uganda Cranes captain Andy Mwesigwa over public statements he allegedly made about a disputed Shs480 million school loan, accusing the bank of working with “sports mafias” and imposing an unlawful interest rate.

ABC Capital Bank has sued former Uganda Cranes captain Andy Mwesigwa for defamation, accusing him of making false and malicious allegations against the bank during a dispute over a loan to his Amesco High School in Wakiso.

The bank, in a suit filed in the High Court in Kampala, wants Mwesigwa ordered to pay general, punitive and exemplary damages, issue a public apology and retraction, and be permanently restrained from making further defamatory statements against the bank.

It is also seeking interest at 25 per cent per annum from the date of filing the suit until payment in full, as well as costs of the case.

According to the plaint filed on August 20, 2026, the dispute escalated after Mwesigwa publicly appealed to President Yoweri Museveni to intervene in the matter, alleging that “sports mafias” were working with ABC Capital Bank to take over his school.

The bank says the allegations were published through Umoja Standard, Galaxy FM and social media platforms including TikTok and YouTube.

ABC Capital says Mwesigwa accused it of applying an unlawful monthly interest rate of 30 per cent which, according to him, was not contained in the original loan agreement.

The bank also takes issue with statements that it was working with “sports mafias” to take over the school.

It argues that the statements portrayed it as a dishonest and fraudulent financial institution that conspires with “mafias” to take borrowers' property and applies illegal and excessive interest rates.

ABC Capital denies the allegations, saying its actions have at all times been lawful and in accordance with the loan agreement and the legal framework governing debt recovery.

The bank's records show that Mwesigwa's school obtained a Shs480 million term loan on a reducing balance basis.

The loan schedule was created on January 2, 2020, with 16 instalments and a contractual maturity date of February 12, 2025.

The effective interest rate was 23.5 per cent, while the contractual penal interest rate was 38.5 per cent, comprising the normal 23.5 per cent interest and a 15 per cent penalty.

The bank says Mwesigwa did not consistently make the scheduled instalment payments when they fell due.

According to the loan records, overdue payments attracted penal interest and payments received were applied in accordance with the agreed repayment terms, including applicable penalties and interest before reduction of the principal.

The records show that Mwesigwa had paid Shs338,400,611.28 towards the loan.

ABC Capital says the payments were insufficient to fully regularise the account, resulting in continued accumulation of outstanding obligations.

The bank says the loan account was written off on June 28, 2024, at Shs787,369,486.68.

However, ABC Capital maintains that the write-off did not amount to a waiver or cancellation of Mwesigwa's obligation to repay the money.

The bank says the outstanding obligations continued to be governed by the terms of the loan agreement, including applicable interest and penalties.

Its records put the total amount due at Shs1,279,587,998.68 as of May 18, 2026.

The dispute over the loan has also resulted in court proceedings concerning the property used as security.

According to the bank's plaint, court rulings issued on July 30 and August 4, 2026 granted Mwesigwa a conditional temporary injunction in relation to the recovery process.

The condition required him to deposit 30 per cent of the outstanding liability in court within 30 days.

The bank puts the required deposit at Shs392.3 million.

ABC Capital says Mwesigwa's public statements were made in an attempt to pressure the bank and influence public opinion while the dispute was before court.

The bank alleges that the campaign caused significant damage to its reputation and forced it to spend money on public relations and communication efforts to counter what it describes as a false narrative.

In its plaint, ABC Capital says Mwesigwa, because of his public profile, had a duty to ensure that the allegations he published were true and verified. The bank alleges that he acted with reckless disregard for the truth and with malice.

It says the publications lowered its reputation among current and potential customers and exposed it to hatred, contempt and ridicule.

ABC Capital further argues that the statements were published to third parties, including readers of Umoja Standard, followers of Galaxy FM's X account and audiences on TikTok and YouTube.

The bank says the publications constitute libel and argues that Mwesigwa has no lawful justification for the statements.

What the bank wants from court

ABC Capital is asking the High Court to declare Mwesigwa liable for defamation and permanently restrain him, his agents and servants from publishing further defamatory statements against the bank.

It also wants court to order him to issue an unconditional public retraction of the statements in a media outlet of wide circulation, with prominence equal to that of the original publications.

The bank wants a public apology published in a newspaper of nationwide circulation and on Mwesigwa's social media platforms.

It is also seeking general damages, punitive and exemplary damages, interest at 25 per cent per annum from the date of filing the suit until payment in full, and costs.

The bank has listed its officials as witnesses and says it will rely on screenshots of the alleged publications, court rulings and other documents to support its case.

The suit was filed on August 20, 2026, and the allegations contained in the plaint have not yet been determined by court.