Kampala/Luweero — Fresh controversy has emerged over the vast estate of the late property mogul James Garuga with his former company secretary, Agaba Maguru now at the centre of serious allegations of fraud and illegal sale of prime land.
Court documents filed before the High Court in Luweero paint a picture of a high-stakes property dispute involving hundreds of hectares of land in Nakaseke District one of the most valuable assets linked to the late businessman’s empire.
The suit filed by Garuga’s son and heir, Alwyn Carl Garuga accuses Maguru of orchestrating the sale and transfer of land belonging to Incafex Limited, a company closely associated with the deceased, under questionable circumstances.
According to the plaint, the contested land—measuring approximately 849 hectares and located in Bulemezi County was part of a larger estate built by the late Garuga over decades.
The businessman who died in August 2025 after a prolonged illness is said to have maintained significant shareholding and control over the company that held the land.
However, the legal challenge alleges that during the final months of Garuga’s life while he was bedridden and in deteriorating health, Maguru took advantage of the situation.
The plaintiff claims that Maguru purporting to act as company secretary, forged the tycoon’s signature on key documents including sale agreements and transfer forms.
These documents were allegedly backdated to create the impression that the transactions had been authorised before Garuga’s death.
It is further alleged that the land was subsequently transferred to another of Garuga’s employees Charles Byaruhanga without any valid company resolution or approval from shareholders raising questions about the legality of the entire transaction.
“The acts of selling and transferring the suit property were illegal, fraudulent and calculated to defeat the interests of the beneficiaries,” the court filing states.
The dispute also draws in Incafex Limited itself, as well as the Commissioner for Land Registration who is accused of negligence for allegedly facilitating the transfer without proper verification of the documents.
The plaintiff argues that the land registry failed in its duty by registering the transfer without confirming the authenticity of the signatures or ensuring that the transaction had been duly authorised by the company.
Among the key issues raised is the absence of a properly constituted board of directors at the time of the transaction as well as the lack of a formal company resolution approving the sale requirements considered fundamental in corporate transactions of such magnitude.
The suit also alleges that the land may have been sold at a gross undervalue and without clear evidence of payment, further deepening suspicions surrounding the deal.
Alwyn Garuga is now seeking court declarations to nullify the transaction, cancel the current land registration and restore ownership to Incafex Limited.
He is also asking court to evict the current occupants and permanently bar the defendants from dealing in the property.
Additionally, the plaintiff is pushing for the removal of Maguru as company secretary and is demanding both general and punitive damages for what he describes as a deliberate scheme to dispossess beneficiaries of the estate.
The case marks the latest chapter in an increasingly complex battle over the legacy of one of western Uganda’s prominent businessmen.
A separate court ruling also placed the management of Garuga’s estate under the Administrator General, citing deep divisions within the family.
For now, the spotlight remains firmly on Agaba Maguru, whose actions if proven in court could redefine the unfolding struggle over the late tycoon’s vast property empire.
The controversial man from Kanungu district was also last week appointed the chancellor of North Kigezi dioceses in Rukungiri by Bishop Onesmus Asiimwe.
