Barely weeks after the burial of celebrated businessman and political figure James Musinguzi Garuga, a storm of family accusations and counterclaims has landed in the High Court of Kampala, exposing a deepening rift within the late tycoon’s household.
In a sworn affidavit filed under Administration Cause No. 1046 of 2025, Garuga’s first-born son, Alwyn Carl Musinguzi, levels grave allegations against his mother, Peace Kesime Musinguzi, whom he accuses of deliberately frustrating his father’s medical evacuation abroad in order to position herself to take control of the family’s vast estate.
According to Alwyn’s affidavit, when his father’s health deteriorated in mid-2025, arrangements had been made to have him airlifted to a London hospital for specialized treatment. He claims, however, that his mother consistently rejected or delayed these efforts, despite doctors’ recommendations.
Alwyn alleges that her refusal was calculated, arguing that she wanted to ensure Garuga remained in Uganda where his treatment options were limited, thereby hastening his death.
This, he contends, would pave the way for her to fraudulently seek sole letters of administration over a business empire now estimated to be worth more than shs 1 trillion.
The affidavit further accuses Peace Kesime of under-declaring the true value of Garuga’s assets in her petition to court. Alwyn lists extensive properties and business holdings including more than 150 land titles, expansive tea estates under Kigezi Highland Tea Ltd, ranches in Ngoma and Kyankwanzi, a mansion in Mbuya, the Savanna Resort Hotel in Kanungu, and multiple financial accounts which he says his mother omitted or undervalued.
He insists that all beneficiaries of the estate are adults and should jointly administer the estate to safeguard transparency.
Alwyn also questions his mother’s physical fitness to manage such a vast business empire, pointing to what he describes as “medical struggles” that would limit her capacity to run complex enterprises.
He adds that she bypassed legal requirements, including failing to secure a Certificate of No Objection from the Administrator General before moving to claim the estate.
The case has now placed the Garuga family in the spotlight barely a month after they united to bury the patriarch, whose legacy spanned business, politics, and philanthropy.
Garuga, who passed away on August 6, 2025, at the age of 72, was a founding member of the Forum for Democratic Change (FDC) and a pioneer investor in tea and hospitality in southwestern Uganda.
While Peace Kesime has yet to file her detailed response, the allegations, if proven, risk tainting the memory of a man celebrated for his generosity and democratic values. Observers warn that a drawn-out court battle could fracture the family further and destabilize the businesses he built over decades, putting employees and communities who depend on them at risk.
As the High Court prepares to weigh the affidavit and competing applications, the Garuga empire remains in limbo.
For many in Kanungu and beyond, the case represents not just a family feud but a test of how Uganda’s courts handle high-value estates where questions of love, loyalty, and legacy collide with immense wealth.