It started as a routine medical visit early this year on 28th Feb 2025. A wealthy businessman James Musinguzi Garuga, known for his quiet influence and substantial holdings, was taken to Nakasero Hospital after experiencing hip problem.
Tests revealed two surprising findings. A hip issue that required urgent attention, and a diagnosis of diabetes, a condition that should have prompted caution before any major surgery.
Despite the prescribed time of three months for any operation on a diabetic patient, Garuga was operated in three weeks time yet a diabetic patient needs at least three months mandatory to stabilize the hemoglobin levels to 7.5% and below for a safe surgery of which his blood level was 17% double when he want to Nakasero hospital.
This has also raised several questions on whether it was not intentional.
After the operation, he was transferred CoRSU rehabilitation hospital along Entebbe road. One may wonder why such a tycoon would be transferred from Nakasero to such a hospital yet he could afford the best medical care in the world.
While at CoRSU, Garuga’s health deteriorated and was transferred back to Nakasero hospital where two more surgeries were made on his chest after being diagnosed with cancer of the throat.
What raised eyebrows was that this same man had faced cancer years earlier in 2016, a case that had been treated and declared healed.
Despite his worrying health conditions, Garuga’s first UK VISA application was refused , causing delays at a time when every day mattered.
According to the letter from the embassy, he was refused the visa because he had applied for a visit visa and as a farmer.
By the time Garuga passed away at Nakasero hospital, he had had a UK visa in his passport for two weeks which he painstakingly got after re-application for the UK visa which was granted aided by the Deputy speaker of parliament, Rt Honourable Thomas Tayebwa and a recommendation from the British high commissioner herself, but shockingly, his passport with a Uk visa in it was taken without his consent and deposited with the Turkish visa handling center on the plot 9 Yusuf Lule road in an attempt to deprive him means to be evacuated to two UK hospitals which were awaiting to treat him, namely, The Cromwell hospital UK and The Roal marsden Hospital UK where he had in-patient appointments
There was also a private jet waiting to evacuate him to the UK for treatment but unfortunately some people tied up his passport at the Turkish visa handling center alleging that they are looking for a Turkish visa which normally takes one month to be processed
While alternative options were considered, the process involved multiple parties and complex decision-making, leaving many to wonder why such a wealthy man could not access the extensive care he could easily afford despite having three million pounds on his bank account.
UK Visa Application Rejected Over Financial Concerns
The late Garuga was denied a visit visa to the United Kingdom after the British High Commission in Pretoria raised questions about his financial records and intentions for travel.
According to the decision letter issued by UK Visas and Immigration (UKVI), Musinguzi had applied for a five-month visit visa to undergo private medical treatment at the Royal Marsden Hospital in London.
However, the application was refused on grounds that the supporting financial documents provided did not satisfactorily demonstrate his ability to fund the trip.
The visa officer noted that while Musinguzi presented a bank statement indicating large sums of money, the account showed multiple unexplained deposits with no clear source.
He had also declared himself a self-employed farmer with an annual income of UGX 1 billion (approx. £202,954), but the UK authorities questioned the legitimacy of the farming business, stating there was no evidence of its registration, profitability, or operations.
“I am not satisfied that these funds will remain available for your exclusive use, or that your farming business presents a true and accurate picture of your current finances,” the decision letter read.
The application was refused under Paragraphs V4.2 and V7.2 of Appendix V of the UK Immigration Rules, citing doubts over his financial credibility, the genuine purpose of his visit, and his intention to leave the UK at the end of his stay.
The letter further informed Musinguzi that there was no right to appeal or administrative review of the decision. However, UKVI emphasized that any future visa applications would be considered on their individual merits should circumstances change.
Even after his passing, key documents, including postmortem reports, have not been released. Each unanswered question leaves a shadow over the story of his death, prompting one to ask whether all the facts have truly been made clear.
Some of the most pressing questions remain unanswered.
- Why did Nakasero hospital operate a diabetic patient before three months of stabilization ?
- Why was a man like Dr James Musinguzi Garuga transferred from Nakasero hospital to a hospital like CoRSU rehabilitation hospital on Entebbe road instead of opting for an air ambulance for further treatment abroad?
- Why has Nakasero hospital failed to release the postmortem up to now?
A lot of questions are still pending regarding the death of Garuga.
This is not merely the tale of a man’s illness. It is a puzzle of medical decisions, delays, and inconsistencies, a story that demands careful scrutiny and honest answers.
Those who knew him, those who watched the unfolding events, are left with a single thought: the truth about his final days has yet to be fully told.
