By Spy Uganda
The Court of Appeal has stripped veteran businessman Mohan Musisi Kiwanuka of control over his multimillion-dollar estate, declaring him mentally unfit to manage his affairs due to advanced Alzheimer’s disease and dementia.
The stunning ruling overturns a 2020 High Court decision and comes after a fierce family feud spearheaded by Mohan’s eldest son, Jordan Ssebuliba Kiwanuka, who first petitioned the court in 2019.
Mohan, husband to former Finance Minister Maria Kiwanuka, has now been officially declared of unsound mind, with judges citing compelling medical evidence—including a 2017 UK neurological report and affidavits from his sisters and doctors—as proof of his declining mental health.
The court’s decision not only removes Mohan from the helm of his estate but also lays bare years of bitter infighting, secret transactions, and contested wealth between his two families.
In their ruling, appellate justices ordered a comprehensive audit of all transactions involving Mohan’s estate since 2017. They demanded that all individuals managing his assets—including Maria and other family members—account for every shilling: from property sales and rental income to loans, mortgages, and asset disposals.
“The family must convene within 30 days to appoint a new estate manager. Should they fail, the court will appoint one,” the judgement read.
The ruling also instructed that those currently in charge step aside, pending a transparent family-led restructuring of the estate’s leadership.
At the heart of the case is a rift between Mohan’s first wife, Beatrice Kavuma Kiwanuka, and her children, versus his second wife, Maria Nabasirye Kiwanuka, and hers.
Court filings reveal that Beatrice’s son, Ssebuliba, initially used a medical report obtained by Maria herself—who had sought answers after noticing signs of memory loss in her husband. Ironically, Maria later turned against the report, opposing Ssebuliba’s bid to declare Mohan unfit.
The High Court had originally sided with Maria, relying on Mohan’s courtroom behavior to assess his mental fitness. But the tide turned when Mohan’s own lawyers, in a separate case, acknowledged he was of unsound mind—a key admission that bolstered Ssebuliba’s appeal.
The court case has unearthed a string of controversial property transactions and power moves within the family empire.
Notably, Mohan reportedly ordered the eviction of Beatrice and her children from prime properties in Kololo and Nakasero, despite Beatrice claiming marital rights to the Kololo home where she had lived for over three decades.
Meanwhile, documents show that Maria, after being appointed as a director of the family estate, approved the sale of 50 acres of land in Sonde, Mukono to the Makerere University Retirement Benefits Scheme for UGX 10 billion—a move Ssebuliba contested, citing irregularities in land size and valuation.
The judges concluded the matter by calling for unity, transparency, and proper oversight in managing Mohan’s empire going forward. Each party was ordered to bear their own legal costs, in an apparent bid to de-escalate hostilities.
As the 30-day countdown to a family resolution begins, the ruling leaves Mohan—once a towering figure in Uganda’s real estate and investment landscape—legally and administratively dethroned.
