By Spy Uganda
The High Court Commercial Division has ordered businessman Mukesh Shukla, popularly known as Shumuk, and three of his companies to pay about Shs14 billion in damages, mesne profits and legal costs for the illegal occupation of part of Shumuk House, formerly known as Katatumba Suites, in Kampala.
In its ruling, the court found that Mr Shukla unlawfully possessed and benefited from the prime commercial property for several years, despite a series of earlier decisions affirming ownership by the family of the late businessman Bonney Mwebesa Katatumba.
The dispute, which has spanned more than a decade, arose from a contested Shs3 billion loan that Mr Shukla claimed was secured against Katatumba family properties. Courts have consistently rejected that claim, ruling that the transactions underpinning his possession of the property were fraudulent and improperly executed.
Court records indicate that in 2014, 2020 and 2021, the Commercial Division nullified several property titles held by Mr Shukla’s companies after finding that they were obtained through forgery and without the required consents. In those judgments, judges reaffirmed the Katatumba family’s ownership of the disputed properties, including Hotel Diplomat in Muyenga and a resort on Banda Island.
The latest award covers rental income and other benefits earned during the period of unlawful occupation, in addition to damages and legal expenses. Legal analysts say the decision signals the court’s readiness to penalise long-term trespass and to revisit historical property transactions where illegality is established.
Reacting to the ruling, Ms Angella Katatumba, a daughter of the late businessman and managing director of Hotel Diplomat, described the judgment as a vindication of her family’s long court battle. In a message shared on social media, she attributed the outcome to perseverance in the face of what the family has repeatedly described as fraud and trespass.
Mr Shukla was convicted in 2022 on six counts of fraud linked to the same properties, according to court records, while arrest warrants relating to alleged criminal trespass were reportedly issued as recently as October 2025.
By press time, Mr Shukla, an executive director at Shumuk Aluminium Industries Ltd, had not publicly indicated whether he intends to appeal the ruling. Legal experts note that failure to settle the award could trigger enforcement measures, including eviction from the property or attachment of assets.
The case has remained one of Kampala’s most closely watched property disputes, marked by accusations of forged documents, harassment and defamation. Observers say the latest judgment could bring the long-running saga closer to a conclusion, although further appeals remain possible.
