By Leonard Kamugisha Akida,
KAMPALA
The High Court in Kampala has appointed the Administrator General to temporarily take charge of the estate of the late businessman James Garuga Musinguzi, pending the determination of a family dispute over its administration.
In a February 20, 2026, ruling delivered by Justice John Eudes Keitirima at the Family Division, the court declined an application by Alwyn Carl Musinguzi seeking joint temporary letters of administration together with other beneficiaries.
“It is 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,” the judge observed.
Carl, the eldest son of the deceased, had asked court to grant letters of administration pendente lite to himself and other interested parties pending disposal of Civil Suit No. 0346 of 2025, in which he challenges the fitness of his mother, Peace Kesiime Musinguzi, to solely administer the estate.
The dispute arises from Administration Cause No. 1046 of 2025 filed by Kesiime, who petitioned court as the widow and surviving spouse of the late Musinguzi for sole letters of administration.
Carl, however, lodged a caveat and later filed suit alleging that his mother fraudulently and grossly under-declared the value of the estate and was not fit and proper to administer it alone. He argued that the estate is vast and risks waste if left unmanaged during the pendency of the main suit.
In response, Kesiime maintained that she is the only surviving spouse and a competent administrator who has managed family properties alongside her late husband since their marriage in 1980. She described her son’s claims as baseless and intended to delay the lawful administration of the estate.
She further accused him of intermeddling with estate property and being a vexatious litigant facing several civil and criminal claims, arguing that granting him joint temporary powers would expose the estate to mismanagement.
Other beneficiaries filed affidavits supporting Kesiime’s position and opposing joint interim administration.
In his ruling, Justice Keitirima noted that the parties are close relatives who have developed deep differences and are unable to cooperate in managing the estate.
“It is 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,” the judge observed.
Citing Section 214 of the Succession Act, the court held that the purpose of appointing an administrator pendente lite is to preserve estate assets, ensure continuity in management and safeguard beneficiaries’ interests pending resolution of disputes.
The judge emphasised that such an administrator must be impartial and free from conflict of interest.
“Leaving the said estate without any administration would subject the estate to intermeddlers and would be prone to waste,” he ruled.
Court consequently appointed the Administrator General as administrator pendente lite of the estate until the main suit is concluded. Costs of the application will abide the outcome of the suit.
Disputed Assets
In his filings, Carl claimed the estate exceeds sh1 trillion, citing a mansion in Mbuya valued at over sh6b, a 20-acre country home in Rugyeyo, Kanungu, estimated at sh20b, rental properties in Kampala generating millions monthly, more than 152 land titles under Garuga Properties Ltd, ranches in Ngoma and Kyankwanzi districts, major shareholding in Kigezi Highland Tea Ltd with four factories, the 35-acre Savanna Resort Hotel Ltd in Kanungu with a golf course and private airstrip, and alleged undeclared bank accounts and plots in Kololo, Najjanankumbi and Hanlon Road.
However, the widow disputes the allegations and says some listed companies are separate legal entities not part of the personal estate.
The late Musinguzi, a renowned businessman and founding member of the opposition Forum for Democratic Change (FDC), died on August 6 last year at Nakasero Hospital after battling cancer. He survived with one wife, Kesime and four children. He was buried in Rugyeyo, Kanungu District.
