By Spy Uganda
Prominent businessman Mukesh Shukla, popularly known as Shumuk, has been arrested in connection with the long-running Katatumba property dispute, in a dramatic development that follows allegations that he failed to comply with court orders arising from a landmark judgment delivered against him and companies linked to his business empire.
Security operatives reportedly picked up Shukla after authorities intensified efforts to enforce court directives issued in one of Uganda’s most protracted commercial property battles, a dispute that has spanned more than 16 years and generated numerous lawsuits, appeals, and enforcement proceedings.
The arrest comes months after the Commercial Court delivered a major ruling in favor of members of the Katatumba family and other claimants in the dispute over ownership and occupation of several condominium units at Katatumba Suites, commonly known as Shumuk House on Colville Street in Kampala.
In the December 2025 judgment, the court declared that several condominium units belonged to the claimants and ordered companies associated with Shukla to vacate the properties. The court also awarded substantial mesne profits and damages running into billions of shillings against entities linked to the businessman.
Court records indicate that the ruling required the affected companies to relinquish possession of the disputed units and comply with the court’s findings regarding ownership rights.
However, sources familiar with the matter say implementation of the judgment has faced resistance, with appeals and enforcement proceedings continuing in the months that followed. The latest arrest is understood to be linked to alleged non-compliance with court directives and failure to pay over $6 million dollars (UGX 22.6 billion) over Katatumba Suites now changed to (Shumuk House).
The Katatumba-Shumuk saga has become one of Uganda’s most closely watched property battles, involving competing claims over prime commercial real estate in the city center. Over the years, the dispute has featured allegations of forgery, criminal trespass, fraudulent documentation, and unlawful occupation of property.
Shukla has consistently denied wrongdoing and previously argued that some of the cases against him stem from complex commercial disagreements and ownership disputes. Critics, however, point to a series of adverse court decisions as evidence that the businessman and his companies have repeatedly failed to prevail in key aspects of the dispute.
Shukla is one of Uganda’s recognizable entrepreneurs, with investments spanning manufacturing, real estate, hospitality, and other sectors of the economy.
