Over the past two months or so, tycoon Mohan Kiwanuka’s family members have been going back and forth in wrangles between themselves that have turned into a fierce court battle that includes blame games and several accusations.
The main character in this wrangle is Jordan Ssebuliba who dragged his father Kiwanuka to court demanding that he is unfit to run his business empire that includes Oscar Industries and 32 other companies and properties in prime locations in Kampala.
Ssebuliba’s reason for doing stemmed from Kiwanuka writing to him asking to vacate the property located at Plot 10A and 10B Aki Bua Road, Nakasero that housed his offices, a move Ssebuliba considered unfair and unreasonable to him and his siblings.
It should be noted that Kiwanuka did not do this out of the blue. He was counter-reacting to Ssebuliba’s earlier actions according to an interim order by the High Court restraining Kiwanuka, his agents, servants, associates, advisors, or anyone acting upon his instructions from interfering with the status quo of several properties, assets and businesses registered in several company names.
Kiwanuka, through his lawyers M/S Buwule&Mayiga Advocates was able to prove to the court that he is indeed of sound mind, and that he did what he did when he was thinking correctly. Court Judge Musa Ssekaana reversed the interim court order and dismissed the Ssebuliba’s claim of his father being mentally deranged.
In his ruling, Sekaana said that it is true that the parties (Kiwanuka and son) to the application as the representatives or former representatives of the 33 companies as Director and Company Secretary have a dispute between themselves and or internal fighting and wrangles.
Ssekaana also noted that the said disagreements should not escalate to a level of disrupting the operations of the 33 companies. He said that the companies would suffer great danger and colossal damage if the interim order as granted in the High Court Miscellaneous Application No. 598 of 2019 is left to stand in its present form.
“In the premises, I am satisfied that interim order should be vacated for all property and the 33 companies with the exception of the property comprised Plot 10A and 10B Aki Bua Road, Nakasero that had been vandalized or damaged until the determination of the main Cause,” Ssekaana added.
Kiwanuka’s reason for asking Ssebuliba to vacate the premises is that he (Ssebuliba) occupied the property without asking for permission from him, and has not paid a single coin in rent for over 10 years, yet the property is to be used for commercial purposes.
Ssebuliba, with support from his mother Beatrice Kavuma accuse Kiwanuka’s wife, former Finance Minister Mari Kiwanuka of using the tycoon’s alleged illness to exert her own authority in the family’s big estate, which the Ssebulibas see as unfair to them.
Kiwanuka refutes all these claims and insists he has no influence from anyone and he is acting on his own.