Muntu, Tayebwa clash at burial of tycoon Garuga

At the funeral of prominent businessman James Musinguzi Garuga, a heated public exchange erupted between deputy speaker of parliament Thomas Tayebwa and former army commander Gen Gregory Mugisha Muntu.

The clash, which took place on Monday evening in Mukiragiro village, Kanungu district, focused on the government’s role in the country’s tea industry. Muntu, president of the opposition Alliance for National Transformation (ANT), accused the government of undermining Garuga’s tea projects, which had provided employment to a large number of people.

Tayebwa, however, swiftly dismissed the claim, asserting that the government had, in fact, partnered with Garuga to establish tea factories in the Kigezi region. The exchange grew more intense when Sam Kajojo Arineitwe, a local leader, alleged that the government’s failure to pay Shs 70 billion to tea nursery bed farmers had plunged over 1,000 farmers into a financial crisis.

He also claimed that the unpaid dues were the result of influence from a “jealous political leader” and noted that tea leaf prices had plummeted from Shs 550 to Shs 250 per kilogram.

Kajojo further suggested that Garuga had died a disappointed man following the suspension of some programs on his Kanungu Broadcasting Services (KBS) radio by the Uganda Communications Commission (UCC).

In response, Tayebwa claimed the tea price fluctuations on market forces and not government policy. He reassured mourners that President Museveni was in the process of meeting with disgruntled tea farmers from Kigezi and Ankole to address the unpaid money.

Tayebwa then read Museveni’s eulogy, which praised Garuga as a patriotic investor and development-oriented individual. Museveni extended his condolences with a donation of Shs 20 million, with the NRM party adding another Shs 5 million.

The political tensions reached a crescendo when Garuga’s widow, Dr. Peace Garuga, publicly challenged Tayebwa’s narrative, clarifying that her late husband had established his tea factories using personal bank loans, not government funds.

She also revealed that Garuga was initially denied a UK visa for specialized cancer treatment in June, and by the time it was approved, his doctor was on leave. She used the moment to call for the establishment of a state-of-the-art hospital in Uganda to prevent similar predicaments.

The burial also saw eulogies from other prominent figures. Rt Rev. Onesmus Asiimwe and Rt Rev. Dan Zoreka, Bishops of the North Kigezi and Kinkiizi dioceses, respectively, described Garuga as a seasoned businessman and philanthropist who championed the rights of the marginalized.

Amanya Nuwe Mushega, former Secretary General of the East African Community, urged Ugandans to emulate Garuga’s legacy of investing in projects that address the needs of the people.

An eulogy from imprisoned former presidential candidate Col Dr Kizza Besigye was read by activist Proscovia Salaamu Musumba. Besigye hailed Garuga for his role in reviving Uganda’s tea industry and for his strong stance against bad governance and nepotism.

James Musinguzi Garuga, a founding member of the Forum for Democratic Change (FDC), passed away on August 5, 2025, at Nakasero Hospital in Kampala after a battle with cancer. His casket was lowered into the grave at exactly 6:30 p.m. He is survived by his wife, four children, and seven grandchildren.