The family dispute over the estate of former Bank of Uganda Governor Emmanuel Tumusiime Mutebile has taken a new turn, with his son, Duncan Tumusiime Mutebile, asking the High Court to remove the current administrators over allegations of concealed property, disputed land transfers, and unlawful confinement.
Duncan, through his appointed attorneys, has filed Civil Suit No. 342 of 2026 in the Family Division of the High Court in Kampala, seeking the revocation of letters of administration held by his stepmother, Betty Tumusiime Mutebile, and David Kyomukama Mutebile.
The suit accuses the administrators of failing to disclose the full extent of the late governor’s estate and of transferring some assets without his consent. The allegations are contested, with the administrators disputing Duncan’s claims and challenging his legal capacity to institute the proceedings.
In his court case, Duncan alleges that the estate inventories submitted by the administrators were incomplete or misleading, leaving out several properties and financial interests belonging to his late father.
The assets he claims were concealed include commercial properties on Mabua Road in Kololo, shares in Garuga Properties Ltd, a matooke plantation in Lwengo, forestry land in Nakaseke, and various bank accounts.
He further alleges that the Kololo property and other estate assets were transferred into Betty Mutebile’s personal name without his consent, raising questions over how the estate has been managed since the former central bank governor’s death.
The dispute has also extended to allegations that Duncan was involuntarily confined at psychiatric facilities, including Hope and Beyond Rehabilitation Centre in Mpigi, to prevent him from challenging decisions made concerning the estate.
On September 28, 2026, his legal team lodged a complaint with the Office of the Director of Public Prosecutions and Kira Road Police Station, seeking investigations into alleged kidnapping and unlawful confinement. The complaint was registered under reference CRB 1197/2026 and invokes Section 227 of the Penal Code Act.
The administrators, however, have challenged Duncan’s claim that he is the biological son of the former governor. In their written statement of defence filed on October 14, 2026, they contend that his biological father is a man identified as Disan Tumusiime.
They have also questioned the validity of a power of attorney Duncan executed on September 9, 2026, arguing that it should not be relied upon because he has bipolar affective disorder and was allegedly coerced by his attorneys.
The administrators further accuse the attorneys of pursuing personal interests in the dispute, claims that Duncan’s legal representatives dispute.
In response, Duncan’s attorneys say they have a birth certificate supporting his claimed parentage and a psychiatric assessment conducted at Kira Health Centre IV on September 24, 2026.
The assessment, reportedly conducted by Senior Psychiatric Clinical Officer Charles Mupere, found that Duncan had intact cognition, was fully oriented and had no established psychopathology at the time of the examination.
His legal team relies on the report to challenge the allegations that he lacked the mental capacity to execute the power of attorney.
The criminal complaint has since prompted action from prosecutorial and police authorities. On October 22, 2026, state prosecutor Hanifa Kasana directed the Divisional Criminal Investigations Officer at Kira Road Police Station to submit the police file for consideration.
A day later, Deputy Assistant Superintendent of Police Flavia Natabirwa Namutebi wrote to the administrator of Hope and Beyond Rehabilitation Centre requesting Duncan’s medical history and directing that he be transferred to a government facility for assessment by a state psychiatrist.
The developments introduce a criminal investigation dimension to the ongoing family and estate dispute, with the authorities expected to examine the circumstances surrounding the alleged confinement.
The civil case remains before the High Court’s Family Division, where the competing claims over the estate, Duncan’s parentage and the validity of the power of attorney are yet to be determined.
The allegations against the administrators have not been established in court, and the dispute remains subject to the relevant legal processes.
