City businessman Shukla Babubhai Mukesh alias Shumuk Mukesh has been remanded to Luzira Prison over land fraud dispute involving a prime property along Jinja Road, Eagle Online reliably reports.
This case adds to a growing list of legal battles that have trailed him in recent years.
Mukesh was arrested after months of allegedly failing to appear before court despite repeated summons. He is expected to return before the Nakawa Chief Magistrate’s Court on June 15.
The dispute stems from a contested land transaction reportedly valued at several billion shillings. Court proceedings indicate that Mukesh is accused of acquiring an interest in the property after allegedly paying about Shs250 million, a fraction of its estimated value.
The matter became more complicated following the death of the property’s original owner, whose beneficiaries are now seeking either the recovery of the land or compensation arising from the disputed transaction. The case has also attracted the interest of another party said to be a genuine purchaser of the property.
Sources familiar with the proceedings say court had for months struggled to secure Mukesh’s appearance, with explanations ranging from illness to travel abroad. However, after his continued absence, judicial officers reportedly ordered his arrest, culminating in his detention and remand to Luzira Prison.
The latest case places Mukesh back in the spotlight over a series of property-related disputes and court battles that have followed him over the years.
In May 2024, Mukesh was remanded to Luzira Prison on charges of obtaining more than Shs220 million by false pretence from Alvi Auto Village Ltd in a disputed land transaction. Prosecutors alleged that he received $27,950 and more than Shs116 million after representing that his company could lease out two parcels of land located in Nakawa and Banda Industrial Area.
According to the prosecution, the complainant paid the money believing the land was available for lease and possession, only for the transaction to become the subject of a legal dispute. Mukesh denied the allegations, but the case became one of the most publicised property disputes involving the businessman.
The dispute later moved to the Commercial Division of the High Court, where Shumuk Investments Ltd was ordered to compensate Alvi Auto Village Ltd after the court found the company liable for breach of contract, misrepresentation and deceit. The court held that the company had failed to honour obligations under the tenancy agreements and had made representations regarding the properties that were ultimately not fulfilled.
Mukesh’s legal troubles did not end there.
In October 2022, the businessman was convicted on several counts of uttering false documents in a high-profile property dispute involving the family of the late businessman Bonney Katatumba. The court found that documents used in support of ownership claims over the disputed property were not genuine.
The Katatumba property dispute would later return to court, culminating in a ruling in 2025 in which the High Court ordered Mukesh and several of his companies to pay approximately Shs14 billion to the Katatumba family for unlawfully occupying and benefiting from parts of the disputed property. The court found that the family had suffered substantial losses as a result of the prolonged occupation.
The latest arrest is expected to intensify public scrutiny of Mukesh, whose business empire has frequently found itself at the centre of some of Uganda’s most contentious property disputes.
The case will resume before the Nakawa Chief Magistrate’s Court on June 15, where prosecutors are expected to present further details as investigations continue.
