Family members of the late former Bank of Uganda governor, Prof. Emmanuel Tumusiime Mutebile making speeches during his burial several years ago
HABARI DAILY I Kampala, Uganda I The legal dispute over the estate of the late former Bank of Uganda governor, Prof. Emmanuel Tumusiime Mutebile, has escalated into a court battle, with his son, Duncan Tumusiime Mutebile, accusing the estate administrators of concealing assets, effecting questionable property transfers and unlawfully confining him in a psychiatric facility.
The allegations are contained in Civil Suit No. 342 of 2026, filed in the Family Division of the High Court in Kampala, in which Duncan is seeking the revocation of letters of administration held by his stepmother, Betty Tumusiime Mutebile, and David Kyomukama Mutebile.
The case has opened a contentious legal contest over the management of the late governor’s estate, with the parties disputing not only the handling of the deceased’s property but also Duncan’s parentage, mental health and legal capacity to challenge decisions made by the administrators.
The allegations remain contested, and the court has yet to determine the claims brought by either side.
Concealment of Estate Assets
In his court case, Duncan accuses the administrators of submitting incomplete or misleading inventories of the estate, allegedly leaving out several properties and financial assets belonging to his late father.
The assets h
e identifies include commercial properties on Mabua Road in Kololo, shares in Garuga Properties Ltd, a matooke plantation in Lwengo District, forestry land in Nakaseke District and various bank accounts.
Duncan contends that the alleged omissions have prevented the estate from being fully accounted for and raised questions about whether the administrators have properly discharged their responsibilities.
He also challenges property transfers allegedly undertaken without his consent, particularly claims that estate assets, including the Kololo property, were transferred into Betty Mutebile’s personal name.
The son wants the High Court to revoke the administrators’ letters of administration, arguing that their handling of the estate warrants judicial intervention.
However, the administrators have rejected the allegations, setting the stage for a legal examination of the estate inventory, ownership records and circumstances surrounding the disputed transactions.
Psychiatric Confinement Allegations
The disagreement has taken a more serious turn over allegations that Duncan was involuntarily confined at psychiatric facilities, including Hope and Beyond Rehabilitation Centre in Mpigi District.
Through his attorneys, Joseph Ntegyereize Mutebile, his paternal uncle, and Caleb Karyaho Tukaikiriza, his maternal uncle, Duncan alleges that the administrators arranged his confinement against his will to prevent him from challenging decisions concerning the estate.
On September 28, 2026, his legal team lodged a complaint with the Office of the Director of Public Prosecutions (ODPP) and Kira Road Police Station, seeking investigations into alleged kidnapping and unlawful confinement.
The complaint was registered under CRB 1197/2026 and invokes Section 227 of the Penal Code Act.
The allegations have attracted the attention of prosecutorial and police authorities as the civil proceedings continue separately in the High Court.
On October 22, 2026, state prosecutor Hanifa Kasana directed the Divisional Criminal Investigations Officer at Kira Road Police Station to submit the police file for consideration of the complaint.
The following day, Deputy Assistant Superintendent of Police Flavia Natabirwa Namutebi wrote to the administrator of Hope and Beyond Rehabilitation Centre, requesting Duncan’s medical history and directing that he be transferred to a government facility for assessment by a state psychiatrist.
The actions indicate that the allegations concerning his confinement are being considered through a separate criminal investigative process, although they do not establish that an offence was committed.
Parentage and Mental Capacity questions
In their written statement of defence filed on October 14, 2026, the estate administrators challenged Duncan’s claim to be the biological son of the former central bank governor.
They contend that his biological father is a man identified as Disan Tumusiime, disputing the family relationship on which Duncan’s claim to the estate rests.
The administrators have also challenged the validity of a power of attorney Duncan executed on September 9, 2026, arguing that it should not be relied upon because he has bipolar affective disorder and was allegedly coerced by his attorneys.
They further accuse the attorneys of pursuing personal interests in the dispute, claims that add another dimension to the disagreement over who should represent Duncan in the proceedings.
Duncan’s legal representatives have rejected the challenge to his parentage and capacity.
They say they possess a birth certificate affirming his parentage and rely on a psychiatric evaluation conducted at Kira Health Centre IV on September 24, 2026.
The assessment, reportedly conducted by Senior Psychiatric Clinical Officer Charles Mupere, found that Duncan had intact cognition, was fully oriented and had no established psychopathology.
His attorneys are relying on the report to contest the argument that he lacked the mental capacity to execute the power of attorney.
The competing claims place questions of family relationship, medical evidence and legal representation at the centre of the estate dispute, issues that may require examination of documentary and other evidence.
The battle over Mutebile’s estate now involves parallel legal processes: the civil suit challenging the administrators’ authority and the police and prosecutorial consideration of allegations surrounding Duncan’s confinement.
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