The death of tycoon Dr James Musinguzi Garuga left a trail of grief but also burning questions. As people continue to celebrate his life, leaked conversations within the family reveal that bitter disagreements over his medical evacuation may have played a role in the delays that clouded his final days.
At the centre of the storm were two siblings, Alwyn and Rowena, who openly clashed over the best way to save their father as per the audios that have leaked.
Rowena, in her account, insisted she had no power to decide on her father’s evacuation. She explained that only his wife had that authority. To her, doctors could not ignore the wife’s instructions. She believed the only solution was to sit down with the wife (their mother), and convince her in good faith.
But Alwin was convinced the delays were deadly. He insisted he could not stand by and watch his father die because of what he described as recklessness and obstruction. He highlighted that his father had already obtained a UK medical visa weeks before the dispute escalated, and Cromwell Hospital in London was ready to admit him for an in-patient appointment.
Alwin dismissed a proposed evacuation to Turkey as a “hoax,” suggesting it was a ploy to tie up his father’s passport. He alleged that his younger brother Philip, who promoted the Turkey plan, did not even have a visa himself. He questioned why the evacuation to Turkey was pushed when medical visas normally take a month, yet they expected the process to happen in two days.
The leaked conversations raise further serious concerns. Alwin claimed that Garuga was deliberately denied medical evacuation from February until August 2025. He questioned why his father was downgraded to CoRSU rehabilitation hospital along Entebbe Road instead of being flown abroad, and why an open chest surgery was sanctioned while he was in ICU, a procedure Alwyn said could not be successfully performed in Uganda.
He also says that his younger brother Philip intentionally mishandled Garuga’s first UK visa application by listing him as a farmer and omitting documents proving he owned over 25 factories. Alwyn maintained that his father’s treatment was fully funded, with three million pounds allocated and a private jet ready for immediate evacuation , all of which was blocked when his mother tied up his passport at the Turkish visa office.
According to eldest son Alwyn, Garuga had a confirmed UK visa, a scheduled hospital appointment, and the financial and logistical means for treatment. He now questions why, after his father’s death, five individuals were able to travel to Turkey using the same visas that were used to block treatment. (They are currently still in Turkey)
Curious: did the delays caused by family disputes and alleged obstruction cost Dr James Garuga his chance at survival? Many people believe timely action abroad have saved him.
