In February 2020, when renowned Ugandan businessman Hajji Bulaimu Muwanga Kibirige (BMK) opened Hotel Africana in Zambia capital Lusaka, he decried wasted infrastructure, including machinery that was rotting away at the premises.
At that time, the Late, was frail as he battled cancer, but managed to make it to Lusaka and invited a number of his Ugandan associates to celebrate with him the milestone.
“The expensive machinery which had been used to construct the Hotel and also BMK house which is adjacent was abandoned and left to rot. In his mind he wondered what would happen to this wealth if he is no more,” said a relative who attended the launch in 2020.
Indeed, the businessman from Masaka, who built his empire from scratch had all reasons to worry.
A year after his demise, his family is poised to lose half of all he wealth to pay loans acquired by his son from Banks, registered financial institutions and Kampala loan-sharks.
Whereas the family remains tight-lipped on the matter, some of the relatives condemn the actions of Haruna Muwanga Kalule, one of the trusted sons of Late BMK.
This website understands that the loans have since accumulated to a tune of shs 20 billion.
BMK’s family house in Naguru has already been auctioned which Haruna staked as part of collateral.
Haruna in his early 40s, graduated with a first class degree from an American University.
He returned to Uganda and started running business with the father. He was promising.
“He trusted him so much and would send him even abroad to negotiate deals on his (BMK) behalf,” said a relative.
Without a doubt, Haruna, a second born of BMK’s first wife Sophia Nakamya Muwanga looked at himself as the heir of the vast empire his father built for over 4 decades.
However, in October last year, the family unveiled Ali Kibirige as the Chairman of the trustees, Late BMK appointed in his will.
This was a hard pill to swallow for Haruna.
Shrewd as he was known, BMK directed that no child should sell off his property until a loan acquired from UDB to fund construction of Hotel Africana Moroto is serviced to zero.
This leaves many of his family members wondering where Haruna got authorization to get loans after presenting the father’s signatures on some of the bank documents.
Some of relatives believe Haruna, because he was close to the father might have forced him to sign papers, “he must have been under duress. We think that as smart as he is, when he learnt that he is not the heir he decided to compel the father to do what he wants.”
Multiple family sources revealed that Hajji BMK sat with his entire family and agreed to recommend Haruna acquire a loan of only shs 5 billion in 2019 because he had also wanted to invest in construction and transport business.
However, the business couldn’t take off as Covid-19 swept the world. Haruna felt frustrated and started getting more loans to pay old loans.
What remains interesting is whether Haruna’s mother Hajjat Sophia Nakamya is not part of the son’s shenanigans since her signature is also on the banks’ files.
Relatives says that some of the papers presented in the bank to acquire loans by Haruna bear genuine BMK’s signatures while others are forged.
Reports indicate that the beleaguered businessman fled the country as banks move to attach family property.
But insiders insist he is hiding in Kampala.
In 2010 Haruna married Shamim Mago, but the couple later parted ways, however he recently bought a new Landcruiser V8 valued at shs 500 million for the ex-wife.
This website will bring more details on Haruna Muwanga and his dealings which are crumbling BMK’s empire.
