Winnie Byanyima, Siblings Prevail in Court Battle Over Father’s Estate

Kampala, Uganda — Winnie Byanyima, the executive director of UNAIDS, and her four siblings have successfully opposed a bid by two executors to extend their control over the multimillion-dollar estate left by their late father, prominent politician and rancher Boniface Byanyima.

Justice Allan Paul Nshimye of the High Court dismissed an application by Capt. John Kassami and lawyer Francis Bwengye to renew a grant of probate that had allowed them to manage and distribute the deceased’s assets. The ruling marks a significant victory for the Byanyima children, who had accused the executors of gross mismanagement.

Boniface Byanyima, a wealthy landowner in Ankole who also suffered losses under the Ranch Restructuring Scheme in the early 1990s, died in 2017. He left behind five children: Winnie, Edith, Anthony, Olivia, and Martha Byanyima. In May 2018, Capt. Kassami and Bwengye were appointed executors of his estate, granting them the authority to manage and distribute his substantial land holdings and other properties.

Under the law, that authority expired on May 31, 2022. When the executors applied to the court for a renewal, arguing they needed more time to resolve ongoing cases and await government compensation for ranches seized decades ago, the beneficiaries mounted a fierce legal challenge.

Through their lawyer, Robert Senfuka, the Byanyima children urged the court to dismiss the application, alleging that the executors had failed to comply with the law and had “grossly mismanaged the estate.” In an affidavit sworn on behalf of the family, Olivia Byanyima stated that the beneficiaries had already initiated separate legal action against the executors over the alleged mismanagement.

The children also argued that the executors had not sought or obtained approval from the beneficiaries before seeking the renewal.

In response, Capt. Kassami and Bwengye contended that the law did not require them to obtain consent from all beneficiaries for such an application. They maintained that the estate still had unresolved matters and that the government was still processing compensation for ranches lost in the 1990s, necessitating more time to complete their duties.

However, Justice Nshimye noted that while the applicants had provided reasons for the extension, the views of the beneficiaries could not be ignored. He observed that all of Byanyima’s children had appeared in court either physically or via Zoom to register their opposition.

“The estate belongs to the beneficiaries, not Kassami or Bwengye,” Justice Nshimye emphasized.

The judge also pointed to practical challenges that weakened the executors’ case, noting that Capt. Kassami had reportedly been ill and indisposed in South Sudan, where he runs several businesses. The absence of one executor, the court found, would complicate the transfer or distribution of property even if the grant were renewed.

Concluding that the executors had failed to meet the legal threshold for renewal, Justice Nshimye dismissed their application. He directed each party to bear its own legal costs.

The ruling has created a legal vacuum regarding the management of Boniface Byanyima’s estate. With the executors stripped of their authority and the children—who are occupied with their own demanding careers—now faced with the task of determining the next steps, the administration of the late politician’s substantial wealth remains uncertain.