Debt, Deals & Disputes: Inside the High-Stakes Legacy-Altering Legal Battles of Ugandan Billionaires — Bitature, Basajjabalaba and Dei’s Magoola Are Uganda’s richest men reckless tacticians gaming the system, or determined entrepreneurs fending off predatory creditors? As their final court battles unfold, the outcomes could not only redefine their fortunes and legacies — but also shatter the empires they built over decades.

The past five years have not gone particularly well for Uganda’s billionaire class. Once the undisputed symbols of local enterprise and ambition, several of the country’s most prominent businessmen have found themselves entangled in complex financial and legal battles — most of them involving commercial banks and cross-border lenders. Among them, Hamis Kiggundu, the property and retail magnate behind Ham Enterprises, waged one of Uganda’s most closely watched banking disputes. His companies owed USD 4,014,444 to Diamond Trust Bank Uganda and USD 6,974,600 to Diamond Trust Bank Kenya — a combined USD 10.99 million (approximately UGX 40 billion) in credit…