A City of Many Landlords — or Just One?
Walk through downtown Kampala and you will hear many names whispered in the same breath as money: Muwonge, Ssebalamu, Nabukeera, Lubega, Haruna, Hamis, Herbert.
Each name sits on a building, a market, or a tower. To the trader on Ben Kiwanuka Street, these appear to be different landlords, different empires.
But peel back the layers, and a different picture emerges. They are one family – from Kalungu-Masaka district. One bloodline whose members operate under different companies and names, disguising unity as rivalry.
The Segawa–Muwonge dynasty is Uganda’s quietest but most powerful empire—stretching from arcades to malls, towers to hotels, stadiums to plazas.
One Tree, Many Branches
The dynasty’s foundation is Haruna Segawa, the patriarchal figure who first invested in land and property in Kikuubo and Kisenyi. From him and his siblings grew the web:
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The First Wave: Muwonge, Ssebalamu, Nabukeera, Lubega—who built the foundational arcades and shopping complexes.
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The Second Wave: Hamis Kiggundu, Sentongo Haruna, Herbert Muwonge—the younger generation diversifying into stadiums, high-rise towers, and hotels.
It is the same tree, growing new branches, but always fed by the same roots.
The Mask of Separation
Individually, each tycoon cultivates a distinct public image:
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John Bosco Muwonge (“Ntere Nfune”): The silent billionaire, avoiding publicity while buying properties like Mukwano Mall in cash.
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John Ssebalamu: The arcade pioneer, whose Freedom City is a city landmark.
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Christine Nabukeera: The matriarch of malls, holding New Pioneer Mall and Kisekka plazas.
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Drake Lubega: The combative landlord, dominant despite past legal disputes.
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Hamis Kiggundu (“Ham”): Flamboyant and outspoken, redeveloping Nakivubo Stadium and proposing major infrastructure projects.
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Sentongo Haruna (Haruna Enterprises): Humble yet ambitious, building Haruna Towers, Nakayiza Market, and skyline projects in Nakasero.
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Herbert Muwonge (Namada Plaza / HBT Hotels): The hotelier, pushing into hospitality with the HBT brand.
On the surface, they look like competitors. Yet all are related by blood.
The Strategy of Disguise
Why operate under different companies and names? Because secrecy is power.
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To a trader, it feels like choice: if you don’t rent from Muwonge, you rent from Haruna, or Ham, or Nabukeera.
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To a politician, it looks like dealing with different stakeholders.
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To the public, it is a mosaic of rich individuals with different ambitions.
In reality, it is one coordinated dynasty, holding properties under many faces, yet collecting rent into the same extended family network.
A Broad and Divided Empire
What makes this family unique is not only its unity but also its breathtaking breadth. They have effectively divided Kampala’s economy among themselves:
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Arcades & Malls: Muwonge, Ssebalamu, Nabukeera, Lubega.
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Markets & Towers: Haruna Enterprises.
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Stadiums & Infrastructure: Ham Enterprises.
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Hotels & Hospitality: Herbert Muwonge.
Together, they own where people trade, gather, play, and sleep.
The Unseen Custodians of Kampala
Kampala’s streets are full of whispers: that these tycoons never truly fight each other; that their companies buy buildings in cash while others beg banks for loans; that their names may be different, but when the family sits together, the city is theirs.
Whether myth or truth, one fact is undeniable: their buildings dominate the skyline. Politicians change, regimes rise and fall, but the Segawa–Muwonge dynasty remains. Their formula is simple: never sell land, only develop it.
As Kampala pushes toward Vision 2040, the family will still stand at its centre. With every new tower, mall, market, and hotel, their grip tightens. They are not rivals. They are not strangers. They are one family that pretends to be many—the invisible custodians of Uganda’s capital.
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