KAMPALA — A bitter inheritance battle worth more than one trillion shillings has broken out in the High Court of Uganda, pitting members of one of western Uganda’s most prominent families against each other just weeks after the burial of businessman and politician James Garuga Musinguzi.
Garuga, a pioneering investor in tea, hospitality, and community development, died on August 6, 2025, at Nakasero Hospital after a long struggle with cancer. He was 72.
The Forum for Democratic Change (FDC) founding member left behind his widow, Peace Kesime, four children, and an empire stretching from luxury resorts and tea estates to extensive ranches and urban real estate.
Now, his first-born son, Carl Musinguzi, has lodged a caveat through M/S Abaine-Buregyeya & Co. Advocates to block his mother’s application for sole letters of administration.
“Let nothing be done in the matter of the estate of the late James Garuga Musinguzi … without notice to I, Alwyn Carl Musinguzi,” his filing states.
In a sworn affidavit, Musinguzi accuses his mother of “fraudulently and grossly under-declaring” the scale of the estate.
He claims the true value surpasses one trillion shillings, citing a vast portfolio of prime properties, agribusiness ventures, tourism investments, and financial holdings.
Among the assets listed are a mansion in Mbuya worth more than Shs6 billion, a 20-acre country home in Rugyeyo valued at Shs20 billion, and rentals in Kampala generating millions monthly.
He also points to more than 152 land titles under Garuga Properties Ltd, ranches in Ngoma and Kyankwanzi, and major shareholding in Kigezi Highland Tea Ltd, which operates four factories in southwestern Uganda.
A typical African post-humous tale of rich families, the affidavit further highlights the 35-acre Savanna Resort Hotel Ltd in Kanungu, a luxury property complete with a golf course and private airstrip, alongside hidden financial assets said to include billions of shillings in bank accounts and undeclared plots in Kololo, Najjanankumbi, and Hanlon Road.
“This estate is not only large but complex,” Musinguzi argues. “All the beneficiaries are adults and capable of jointly administering it. It should not be left in the hands of one individual whose medical struggles raise questions about her ability to manage such a vast empire.”
He also faults his mother for failing to obtain a Certificate of No Objection from the Administrator General before seeking administration rights, a legal requirement under the Succession Act.
The dispute exposes deep fissures in a family that only weeks ago was united in mourning one of Uganda’s most respected entrepreneurs.
To many, Garuga was a symbol of resilience and vision, remembered for championing tea production in Kigezi and investing in tourism at a time when Uganda was still emerging from political and economic turbulence.
Inheritance battles of this magnitude have become increasingly common in Uganda, particularly among families controlling agribusiness and real estate empires.
The High Court’s Family Division has yet to set a hearing date. But with trillions of shillings, dozens of companies, and family harmony at stake, the legal clash between mother and son promises to be one of the most closely watched succession cases in Uganda’s history.
