By Aggrey Baba
A long-standing family dispute over the estate of the late Dr Ivan Saja Kadama has erupted into the public sphere, following unsuccessful efforts to resolve the matter through private dialogue and reconciliation.
The administrators of the estate say they have done everything possible to restore harmony within the family through meetings and arbitration.
However, they now claim that progress has been hindered by challenges surrounding the management of the estate, with particular concern raised over the role of the heir, Dr Patrick Kadama.
Dr Ivan Saja Kadama, who passed away in 1979, was widely respected in Busoga for his contributions to medicine and education. He left behind a large family of 20 children and an expansive estate, including land, shares in companies such as Madhvani and Mehta sugar works, and other assets. Many of his children and grand children too are doing very well, having been given good education within Uganda and globally.
According to the estate administrators, the original executors of the Will passed on, and in February 2025, the Administrator General appointed four new administrators to oversee the estate’s affairs.
The new administrators now say that their efforts to ensure fairness and compliance with succession law have been frustrated. Among the issues they raise are concerns that certain properties have been transferred or sold without consultation, and that family members have found themselves excluded from key sites, including the ancestral home.
They also allege that some shares from the estate have been accessed and used without following the distribution plans laid out in the late’s Will.
There is particular uneaseness about the state of the family’s ancestral home, long seen as a symbol of unity and progress. Family members allege that access to the home and burial grounds has been restricted, making it difficult for many of the children to pay their respects or connect with their roots.
These developments have caused emotional distress among the family, some of whom say they feel sidelined and disrespected. The heir has also been accused of tolerating one of his sons-in-law to have more access to the family burial grounds than some of Dr. Kadama’s real children and direct beneficiaries.
There is also reference to ongoing coffee project on family land at Magamaga, reportedly initiated without wider consent, and tied to a money-lending firm known as CARD PESA. Some family members express concern that the project may benefit only a few individuals, even though the land in question is part of the estate meant to equally serve all beneficiaries.
There have also been appeals for greater cultural sensitivity, particularly with regard to land use and traditional family roles. One family member, by virtue of marriage, has variously been referenced, with some of late Kadama’s children asking one of the heir’s daughters to guide her husband away from what they describe as ‘interference’ in internal family affairs. They warn that such involvement by a powerful in-law risks fueling further divisions, especially where ownership of that same property is contested.
The situation has even drawn in law enforcement, with one report made to the police regarding damage to crops on contested land.
In addition, family members, beneficiaries and administrators say they are increasingly concerned for their safety, citing threatening messages received after they lodged legal caveats to protect parts of the estate.
While the dispute remains largely within the family, aggrieved family members have called on the broader public to take interest in what they view as a matter of both justice and cultural integrity, urging calm and empathy, and appealing for support in ensuring the estate is handled in a way that reflects the values and wishes of the late Dr Kadama who, in their words, believed in equity, dignity, and family cohesion.
The family says it remains committed to lawful processes and dialogue, with the hope that the situation can still be resolved through mutual understanding.
The aggrieved family members’ desire is not to destroy reputations of those they disagree with on this matter or even inflame emotions but to ensure that the legacy of Dr Ivan Saja Kadama is not lost in the midst of misunderstanding and internal conflict as some selfish actors seek unjust enrichment at the expense of the deceased’s estate. (For comments on this story, get back to us on 0705579994 [WhatsApp line], 0779411734 & 041 4674611 or email us at mulengeranews@gmail.com).
