KAMPALA, The Uganda Law Council has found that city lawyer Agaba Maguru has a prima facie case to answer in connection with allegations of embezzlement, fraudulent land transactions and professional misconduct arising from disputes over the estate of the late businessman James Musinguzi Garuga.
Sitting in a disciplinary session on Thursday, the Law Council determined that allegations raised against Maguru warranted a formal response and further proceedings.
The complaints stem from a petition filed by Garuga’s son and heir, Alwyn Carl Garuga, who accuses the lawyer of unlawfully handling company funds and estate assets linked to the deceased tycoon’s business empire.
Among the matters under scrutiny is the alleged embezzlement of UGX 800 million paid to Garuga Properties Limited, which the complainant says was withdrawn and utilized without authorization from the company’s board of directors.
The Council also examined allegations surrounding the transfer of approximately 2,000 acres of land located on Block 1004 Plot 2 in Ngoma, Nakaseke District, which the petition claims was transferred without a valid company resolution.
The disciplinary proceedings further touched on a disputed transaction involving approximately 732 acres of land on Koome Island that remained registered in the names of the late James Musinguzi Garuga.
According to the complaint, the property was allegedly leased through transactions handled at Agaba & Company Advocates to Erunger Property Limited, a company whose ownership and role in the transaction have become subjects of contention in the ongoing dispute.
The developments follow a petition lodged before the Law Council by Alwyn Carl Garuga, who asked the legal regulator to investigate and discipline lawyer Agaba Maguru, advocate Ferdinand Byamugisha and lawyer Mugabe R. Ruranga over allegations of fraud, forgery, professional misconduct and unlawful dealings involving assets belonging to the late businessman.
The petition marks the latest development in a widening legal battle over the estate of James Musinguzi Garuga, a prominent businessman from Kanungu District who died on August 6, 2025, leaving behind extensive ranches, landholdings and corporate interests.
In the complaint, Alwyn Garuga alleges that Maguru, who served as company secretary in several companies associated with the businessman, embezzled hundreds of millions of shillings belonging to Garuga Properties Limited and unlawfully interfered with estate assets following Garuga’s death.
According to the petition, a payment of UGX 800 million made to Garuga Properties Limited in September 2025 as government compensation related to ranch property was allegedly diverted without lawful authority.
The complainant further alleges that estate revenues and company funds have continued to be misappropriated, placing the interests of beneficiaries at risk.
Maguru had not publicly responded to the allegations by the time of publication. Efforts to obtain his comment were unsuccessful.
The petition also accuses Maguru of unlawfully disposing of estate property, including the alleged sale of 80 Boran cattle and the unauthorized harvesting of trees from ranch land in Nakasongola District for charcoal production.
At the centre of the dispute is a contested transaction involving approximately 849 hectares of land in Nakaseke District registered under Incafex Limited, a company in which the late businessman held substantial interests.
According to the complaint, the land was transferred in July 2025 to Charles Byaruhanga under circumstances the complainant describes as fraudulent and unlawful.
The petition alleges that sale agreements and transfer documents were backdated and that signatures attributed to the late businessman were forged while he was seriously ill and bedridden.
Among the allegations raised are the absence of company resolutions approving the transaction, lack of shareholder consent, execution of transfer documents without a company seal, alleged undervaluation of the property and misrepresentation of land ownership details.
The complaint further alleges that advocate Ferdinand Byamugisha improperly witnessed and commissioned documents connected to the transaction despite apparent irregularities.
Another disputed transaction involves land located on Koome Island in Mukono District.
According to the petition, the property was allegedly transferred to a private individual before being leased to a foreign-owned company under circumstances that the complainant says reveal evidence of forgery and procedural irregularities.
The complaint alleges that documents were executed using forged signatures of the deceased and that critical legal requirements, including proof of payment and stamp duty obligations, were not properly fulfilled.
The petition also names lawyer Mugabe R. Ruranga, alleging that he failed to exercise due diligence while participating in the transaction and that potential conflicts of interest existed because of his links to parties involved in the deal.
The complainant is asking the Law Council’s disciplinary committee to investigate the lawyers, order restitution of proceeds arising from any unlawful disposal of estate assets and, if misconduct is established, suspend or remove Maguru from the Roll of Advocates.
The allegations emerge amid a broader struggle over control of Garuga’s business empire, which has triggered multiple court cases involving family members, shareholders and former company officials.
Several of the disputes are currently before Ugandan courts, including cases challenging the legality of land transfers, company filings and management decisions made after the businessman’s death.
As the legal battles intensify, the proceedings are expected to increase scrutiny over the management of one of Uganda’s most contested estates and could potentially result in disciplinary action against the lawyers involved if the allegations are ultimately proven.
