Jailed lawyer and activist Male Mabirizi has rejected a proposed draft settlement in a long-running family dispute over the estate of his late father, arguing that several of the issues raised cannot legally be resolved through a consent agreement.
In a statement dated May 22, 2026, and posted on his social media account from Luzira Prison on Sunday, May 31, Mabirizi outlined a series of objections to a draft settlement reportedly presented by lawyer Gabriel Byamugisha in a case involving Stella Nalutanya and others. The document, titled “Objections to Your Draft Settlement,” was copied to the Resident Judge and High Court Family Division, Justice Margret Mutonyi.
Mabirizi said that although discussions had taken place before a judge regarding a possible resolution of the matter, he had considered and responded to the proposed terms. The dispute is part of a protracted legal battle involving the estate of Mabirizi’s late father, Mohamed Bazinduse Lulibedda Mutumba, which has been before courts for several years. At the heart of the conflict are questions surrounding inheritance, the validity of a will, and paternity claims among individuals claiming to be beneficiaries of the deceased’s estate.
Mabirizi has previously challenged a will allegedly written by his late father on June 15, 2009, arguing that it was fraudulent and unlawfully excluded him as a beneficiary. He sought to have the will invalidated and to stop his siblings from administering the estate. His siblings, led by Pastor Solomon Male, have opposed those claims and maintained that the will does not recognize Mabirizi as a beneficiary.
They have also disputed his assertions regarding his relationship to the deceased. In his latest statement, Mabirizi objected to a proposal seeking to set aside rulings and orders issued in Mengo Consolidated Miscellaneous Causes No. 179 of 2021 and 06 of 2022.
He argued that parties to a case cannot, through consent, overturn court decisions, citing constitutional provisions and established appellate procedures. He also rejected a proposal relating to the termination of contempt of court proceedings in Mengo Miscellaneous Application No. 582 of 2025, contending that contempt proceedings are brought on behalf of the court and are therefore not matters that private parties can settle among themselves.
Mabirizi further opposed a proposal to withdraw Nateete-Lubaga Criminal Case No. 179 of 2025, arguing that criminal prosecutions are conducted by the Directorate of Public Prosecutions and can only be withdrawn through the appropriate legal process. Another contentious issue raised in the draft settlement concerned a relationship and DNA test involving Mabirizi and other individuals connected to the estate dispute.
Mabirizi objected to the proposal, arguing that previous court rulings had already declared him a beneficiary of the estate and that there was insufficient evidence to support allegations against him. The DNA question has been one of the most controversial aspects of the family dispute. In 2023, the Mukono Grade One Magistrate’s Court ordered DNA tests for individuals claiming to be children of the deceased after Mabirizi sought scientific verification of paternity claims.
The court declined to exhume the deceased’s remains and instead directed that the living sibling undergo DNA testing at the expense of the estate. However, the High Court later set aside those proceedings after finding that some respondents had not been properly served before the DNA order was issued, and ordered a fresh hearing.
The family dispute suffered another twist in January 2025 when the High Court Family Division dismissed Mabirizi’s challenge to the disputed will on procedural grounds. The court ruled that allegations of forgery required a full trial supported by forensic evidence and expert testimony rather than a determination through affidavit evidence.
The court also observed that questions regarding biological relationships among the parties could only be conclusively resolved through scientific evidence such as DNA testing. In the concluding section of his latest statement, Mabirizi proposed that any settlement should be limited to matters legally capable of being resolved through consent.
He listed issues such as costs, accounts, and a pending review application as areas that could potentially be settled between the parties. The statement suggests that despite attempts at mediation before the Family Division, significant disagreements remain over inheritance rights, court orders, criminal proceedings, and the long-standing paternity dispute.
Mabirizi is currently incarcerated at Luzira Prison, from where he issued the statement, while the family estate dispute continues to wind its way through Uganda’s courts. URN