A major financial dispute has erupted within the family of the late businessman BMK, as his son, Haruna Kalule Muwanga, has reportedly gone into hiding over a Shs 1.5 billion debt. The loan, originally borrowed some years ago, has accumulated interest, increasing the total amount owed.
State Minister for Youth and Children Affairs, Balaam Barugahara, is pushing to recover the debt by claiming ownership of a prime apartment complex in Buziga. However, the BMK family strongly opposes this move, arguing that the property is protected under the Buganda Land Board, which has placed legal restrictions on any transactions involving the land.
A family member disclosed that Haruna disappeared shortly after the dispute became public, leaving his relatives to deal with the growing crisis. His absence has only intensified the legal and financial battles surrounding the estate.
Balaam insists that all attempts to negotiate with BMK’s family have been ignored, forcing him to take legal action. However, CN, a close friend of the late businessman, has publicly challenged Balaam’s claims, asserting that the Buziga apartments belong to the estate and were built solely with BMK’s funds under Muwanga Holdings Limited.
According to CN, Haruna’s troubles began when he allegedly took out substantial loans using questionable land documents as collateral. As the head of BMK Group’s construction division, he secured a lucrative Shs 25 billion contract for a project in Northern Uganda under the Ministry of Health.
Confident of a profitable return, Haruna reportedly decided to finance the venture independently but failed to seek approval from the estate’s legal caretakers. He is accused of using family assets, including the Naguru residence, BMK House, and the Buziga apartments, to secure funding for the project.
Unfortunately, the deal collapsed, leading to massive financial losses. As lenders and banks started demanding repayment, the BMK family was blindsided by the revelations.
“No one in the family was aware of the loans Haruna had taken until creditors started pursuing payments,” a close family associate revealed.
The family has since argued in court that the loans were taken by Haruna in a personal capacity, not under BMK Holdings, making them unauthorized and illegitimate. The legal battle continues as Balaam seeks to reclaim his money, while the family fights to protect its assets from seizure.