When billionaire businessman James Garuga Musinguzi died on 6th August 2025 at Nakasero Hospital in Kampala, Uganda lost one of its most influential entrepreneurs.
From humble beginnings in Kigezi, Garuga had built an empire that stretched from tea estates and luxury hotels to radio stations and vast tracts of prime real estate.
Yet within weeks of his passing, his family was embroiled in a bitter legal battle.
Court filings not only revealed the extraordinary wealth he left behind but also laid bare the simmering rivalries among his heirs.
This dispute now threatens to overshadow his legacy and could reshape the way Uganda’s courts handle inheritance disputes in polygamous families.
At the center of the feud is Musinguzi Alwyn Carl Garuga, who identifies himself as the late tycoon’s first biological son.
He lodged a caveat challenging a petition by his stepmother, Peace Kesimire, who is seeking to administer the estate. Alwyn accuses Kesimire of concealing valuable properties and under-declaring the true worth of the estate, which he estimates at UGX 1 trillion (USD 260 million).
His claims go beyond money. He alleges that his father’s death was accelerated by a medically questionable hip replacement performed at Nakasero Hospital.
According to Alwyn, arrangements had already been made for evacuation to London’s Royal Marsden Private Care, but instead the surgery was rushed, leading to his father’s demise.
He has submitted WhatsApp messages, emails, and visa application records as evidence that the London plan had been finalised before the sudden operation.
The filings provide an unprecedented glimpse into Garuga’s vast wealth. Among the assets concealed, according to Alwyn, is a luxurious seven-bedroom residence in Mbuya, Kampala, complete with a swimming pool and estimated at UGX 6 billion.
He also points to a sprawling twenty-acre country estate in Rugyeyo, which boasts fifteen bedrooms, a swimming pool, and a valuation of over UGX 20 billion.
In Entebbe, the family controls more than 152 land titles covering approximately 210 acres of prime land, with an average value of USD 200,000 per acre, making the portfolio alone worth over USD 42 million.
The empire stretches further into agribusiness, with controlling shares in Kigezi Highland Tea Ltd, whose factories in Kabale, Rukungiri, and Kisoro are valued at UGX 100 billion, and in Kinkizi Development Co. Ltd, which runs estates and factories in western Uganda.
In hospitality, Garuga held a controlling stake in Savanna Resort Hotel Ltd, a thirty-five-acre property near Entebbe Airport that includes an eighteen-hole golf course.
The business earns over USD 1,000 a day and is valued at around UGX 40 billion. His media interests included full ownership of Kanungu Broadcasting Services Ltd (KBS Radio), which operates from KBS Plaza and is worth an estimated UGX 10 billion.
The tycoon also left behind large tracts of land, with more than two square miles in Kanungu and an additional 7.2 square miles in Kyankwanzi, worth at least UGX 50 billion.
From Luuka to the Netherlands: The Rise of a Farmer Redefining Agribusiness in UgandaIn addition to property and businesses, bank records indicate deposits of at least UGX 5 billion in liquid cash.
The depth of these holdings has intensified divisions in the family. Minutes from a meeting on 21st August 2025 reveal that Kesimire insisted on taking sole control of the estate, despite objections from Garuga’s children.
Alwyn and his siblings argue that she lacks the physical and medical strength to manage such a vast business portfolio.
They further claim that she misrepresented herself as Garuga’s only legal widow, deliberately excluding children from previous marriages. To them, this was a calculated move to consolidate power and edge out other legitimate heirs.
As the case unfolds, allegations have grown sharper. The accusations now stretch from financial fraud and concealment of assets to suspicions of wrongful death.
This escalation raises the possibility that what began as a civil inheritance dispute could eventually spill into criminal investigations, making it one of Uganda’s most sensational family feuds.
For decades, Garuga was celebrated as a builder of industries. His investments in the tea sector transformed livelihoods in Kigezi and beyond, providing jobs and anchoring local economies.
His forays into hospitality, media, and real estate expanded his influence into sectors that touched many corners of Ugandan life.
He was also briefly active in politics, leveraging his wealth and networks to become a formidable figure in both economic and political circles.
Inheritance battles among wealthy polygamous families are not new, but Garuga’s case highlights the urgent need for clarity in succession laws.
If Alwyn succeeds in proving fraud and concealment, the courts could set a precedent requiring full asset disclosure and broadening recognition of heirs.
The case also underscores a chronic weakness among Uganda’s business elite: the tendency to build vast fortunes without leaving detailed wills or succession plans, exposing family wealth to destructive conflicts.
The High Court’s ruling will determine whether Peace Kesimire’s petition stands or whether the estate will be re-declared to include assets omitted in her filings.
In life, Garuga’s fortune commanded influence and respect. In death, it has become the subject of scrutiny, suspicion, and a bitter fight for control, placing his legacy itself on trial.
