Fresh controversy has emerged over the circumstances surrounding the death of Ugandan businessman and industrialist Dr. James Musinguzi Garuga on August 6, 2025, with an increasingly bitter dispute pitting his widow, Peace Kesiime Bagorogoza, against his son, Alwyn Carl Garuga.
The dispute has centred on competing accounts of Dr. Garuga’s final days, his access to medical treatment and the circumstances surrounding attempts to secure medical evacuation abroad.
During a memorial service held on August 7 at All Saints Cathedral in Nakasero, Bagorogoza attributed her husband’s death to what she described as poor conditions in government health facilities.
However, that account has since been challenged by Alwyn and others who maintain that Dr. Garuga did not receive treatment at a government hospital during the period in question. According to the account presented by Alwyn, his father had been receiving treatment exclusively at private medical facilities after developing a hip-related health problem in February 2025.
The disagreement escalated after Alwyn publicly rejected the suggestion that government medical facilities were responsible for his father’s death. He has instead raised questions over the handling of his father’s travel documents and efforts to secure medical treatment outside Uganda.
One of the central allegations concerns Dr. Garuga’s passport, which, according to Alwyn, contained a valid United Kingdom medical visa. He alleges that Bagorogoza and her son, Philip Musinguzi, took possession of the passport and delivered it to a Turkish visa-handling office, effectively frustrating plans for his father’s medical evacuation.
The UK visa, according to Alwyn’s account, was secured after the intervention of Deputy Speaker of Parliament Thomas Tayebwa and former Prime Minister Ruhakana Rugunda, who reportedly engaged the British High Commission following an earlier unsuccessful application.
Alwyn further alleges that the initial application had portrayed his father as a local farmer, a description he says contributed to the rejection of the first application and delayed the planned evacuation.
He has maintained that the delay was not accidental and has questioned why those allegedly involved in handling the passport have not been held accountable.
Another major point of contention is government financial support reportedly allocated towards Dr. Garuga’s treatment. Alwyn claims that Shs800 million was released for his father’s medical care, but alleges that the money was diverted or misappropriated by individuals involved in the family dispute.
These allegations, however, remain contested and would require verification through official financial and investigative records.
The dispute has also spilled into questions surrounding Alwyn’s relationship with his late father. Claims have circulated that Alwyn was not close to Dr. Garuga, but photographs from the businessman’s 70th birthday celebrations have been cited by his supporters as evidence of a close relationship between the two.
According to Alwyn’s account, his father supported his education at the Communication University of China and later employed him at the family’s offices at Impala House.
Claims that Alwyn did not attend his father’s funeral in Rugyeyo have similarly been disputed, with photographs reportedly showing his presence at the burial ceremonies.
The wider family dispute has also become entangled with the ownership and management of companies associated with the late businessman.
A July 24, 2026 ruling by Daniel Nasasira, Assistant Registrar of Companies, is cited in the dispute over the directorship of Garuga Properties Ltd, Incafex Ltd and Kinkiizi Development Company Ltd. According to the account presented by Alwyn’s side, Agaba Maguru was removed from the company register following questions surrounding his appointment as a director.
The controversy has further extended to government compensation funds connected to Garuga Properties Ltd.
A letter attributed to the Solicitor General and addressed to the Permanent Secretary in the Ministry of Lands reportedly advised that neither Maguru nor Bagorogoza had the authority to independently petition for compensation on behalf of Garuga Properties Ltd because they were not directors of the company.
The advice reportedly further noted that the Administrator General, having been appointed personal representative of the deceased, should be involved before any compensation funds connected to the estate are released.
Meanwhile, claims concerning Alwyn’s family have also been challenged. Contrary to allegations that he has no children, information presented by his supporters identifies a daughter, Garuga Arianna, and a son, David Garuga. Arianna is described as a student and swimming competitor.
At the centre of the increasingly bitter dispute is the unresolved question of what happened during Dr. Garuga’s final days and whether decisions made by those around him affected his access to treatment.
While Alwyn has continued demanding answers and accountability, allegations that Bagorogoza or any other individual caused or contributed to Dr. Garuga’s death remain allegations unless established through a competent investigation or court process.
The competing accounts have therefore intensified calls for an independent and transparent investigation into Dr. Garuga’s medical treatment, the handling of his passport, the reported government medical funding and the subsequent management of his estate and companies.
Until those questions are conclusively addressed, the circumstances surrounding the death of one of Uganda’s prominent businessmen are likely to remain a source of controversy, with both sides continuing to present sharply different versions of events.
