The late James Garuga Musinguzi
HABARI DAILY I Kampala, Uganda I The High Court’s Family Division has delivered a ruling that effectively sidelines the late businessman James Garuga Musinguzi’s immediate family from direct control of his vast estate, after finding that deep-seated disputes among them make joint administration impossible.
In a decision delivered on Friday, Justice John Eudes Keitirima appointed the Administrator General as the interim manager of Garuga’s estate, estimated to be worth more than Shs1 trillion. The ruling followed a bitter legal contest between Garuga’s widow, Peace Kesiime Musinguzi, and their son, Alwyn Garuga Musinguzi, over who should temporarily administer the estate pending the determination of a substantive civil suit.
Garuga, who died on August 6, 2025, at Nakasero Hospital, is presumed to have died intestate. His estate comprises prime real estate in Kampala, a three-storey mansion in Mbuya, a 20-acre country home in Rugyeyo, more than 210 acres of land in Garuga, tea factories in southwestern Uganda, ranches, a pine plantation on Koome Island, and shareholdings in companies including Garuga Properties Ltd, Savannah Resort Hotel Ltd, Incafex Ltd, and Kanungu Broadcasting Services.
Following his death, the widow petitioned the court for letters of administration. However, her son opposed the move, lodging a caveat and filing a civil suit challenging her suitability to serve as sole administrator. He accused her of under-declaring the estate, acting in bad faith, and lacking the integrity required to manage such extensive assets.
In response, Peace Kesiime dismissed the allegations, insisting she is the lawful surviving spouse, physically and mentally fit, and capable of administering the estate. She further argued that some of the companies listed by her son are separate legal entities and not part of the deceased’s personal estate.
Justice Keitirima, however, found that the acrimony between the close relatives had reached such levels that entrusting any of them with interim control of the estate would be counterproductive. In a strongly worded ruling, the judge observed that the intensity of the conflict made cooperation virtually impossible.
“It is therefore apparent that the parties herein who are close relatives cannot work in harmony to manage the estate and it would instead cause a lot of disruptions and acrimony,” he stated.
Invoking Section 214 of the Succession Act, the court declined to grant Alwyn Garuga’s request for temporary joint letters of administration. Instead, it placed the entire estate under the neutral management of the Administrator General, whose role will be limited to preservation and routine administration, not distribution.
The judge emphasized that the purpose of appointing an administrator pendente lite is to safeguard the estate during ongoing litigation, not to determine ownership or inheritance. He warned that leaving the estate without formal oversight would expose it to misuse and loss.
“Leaving the said estate without any administration would subject the estate to intermeddlers and would be prone to waste,” Justice Keitirima cautioned.
Crucially, the ruling underscores how the family’s internal battles have effectively sidelined them from immediate control of one of Uganda’s largest private fortunes. The court held that any interim administrator must be impartial and free from conflict of interest — a threshold none of the disputing parties could meet at this stage due to the serious accusations and counter-accusations.
“It is my considered view that a person granted letters of administration pendente lite should be impartial and have no conflict of interest in the dispute,” the judge ruled, before appointing the Administrator General.
As a result, direct decision-making over Garuga’s businesses, properties, and investments now shifts to a neutral state office under strict court supervision. The Administrator General will manage day-to-day affairs, protect the assets, and handle urgent matters, but will not distribute the estate until the substantive civil suit is concluded.
The ruling effectively freezes the family’s control and signals the court’s concern that continued infighting could jeopardize the integrity of the estate. With Civil Suit No. 346 of 2025 still pending, the final determination of who will eventually administer and distribute the late tycoon’s fortune remains unresolved.
For now, the court’s intervention stands as a decisive move to insulate Garuga’s sprawling empire from familial discord, preserving it until the law determines its rightful stewardship.
