The Family Division of Uganda’s High Court has brought an end to one of East Africa’s longest-running celebrity inheritance disputes after ruling that the estate of late businessman Ivan Ssemwanga belongs to his children under the custody and management of their mother, businesswoman and reality television star Zari Hassan.
The decision concludes a years-long legal battle that pitted Zari against Ssemwanga’s brothers and members of his extended family over the ownership and administration of the wealthy entrepreneur’s expansive estate.
According to the court’s ruling, the final decree was based on an amicable agreement reached between the parties, bringing an end to a dispute that has lingered since Ssemwanga’s death in 2017.
The agreement officially recognizes Ssemwanga’s children as the primary beneficiaries of the estate, with Zari assuming responsibility for managing the assets on their behalf.
Following Ssemwanga’s death, disagreements emerged regarding who should administer his businesses and properties.
While Zari consistently maintained that she was protecting the interests of their children, Ssemwanga’s paternal relatives challenged her role through court applications and public statements, arguing that the estate should remain under the family’s control.
Among the most contested assets are the family’s luxury residences in Munyonyo, Kampala, which had become symbolic of the inheritance dispute.
The judgment also secures other real estate investments that had remained at the centre of legal disagreements between Zari and Ssemwanga’s relatives.
At the time of his death, Ssemwanga had established one of the region’s most recognizable business empires, with investments spanning Uganda and South Africa.
His flagship venture was Brooklyn City Colleges, an education group operating multiple campuses across South Africa, including branches in Johannesburg, Pretoria and Durban.
His portfolio included luxury homes in South Africa’s affluent Sandton suburb and Pretoria, as well as several high-value residential and rental properties in Kampala’s upscale neighbourhoods, including Munyonyo, Bunga and Mutungo.
He was also developing a multi-storey hotel project along Sir Apollo Kaggwa Road in Kampala before his passing.
Ssemwanga’s lavish lifestyle extended to an impressive fleet of luxury vehicles that included Lamborghinis, Aston Martins and premium BMW models, many of which became closely associated with his “Rich Gang” circle.
