Table of Contents
Empisi — In the vibrant social scene of Kampala during the late 1990s, weekend gatherings at popular roast meat spots like Yakobo Joint in Ntinda and Nakawunde in Sseguku formed the epicenter of urban elite networking.
Among a group of over 30 young professionals—engineers, bankers, rally drivers, lawyers, and former municipal leaders—deep social bonds were forged over food, music, and travel.
However, behind the laughter, loud music, and shared journeys lay a painful lesson in human betrayal.
In a candid reflection on friendship, financial exploitation, and spiritual peace, former SC Villa president and cultural commentator Joseph Mbazzi Muguluma (the Oracle of Kifuuta) details how supporting a struggling lawyer friend eventually resulted in a bitter 200 million Ugandan Shillings legal ambush.
“The Empisi (hyena) that is dying by the roadside, if you carry it and care for it, it will eat you after it recovers,” the Oracle of Kifuuta warns. “Empisi does not come growling; Empisi comes limping with an empty pocket and a sad story. You feel pity, you carry it, and once it tastes blood through your name, it turns your brotherhood into a court invoice.”
How did Saturday pork outings at Yakobo Joint build a false sense of brotherhood?
During 1999, roasted meat culture emerged as a major lifestyle trend among young Kampala elites.
Driving from Tororo in a doorless 1972 Land Rover, Muguluma joined an exclusive circle of professionals led by high-profile figures, including a former mayor of Entebbe from the Obote administration era.
Within this social circle, Muguluma identified a young lawyer from Masaka—a fellow Catholic hailing from near his home region—and adopted him as a brother:
- Sponsoring Life and Travel: Muguluma funded the daily expenses of the lawyer, covered fuel costs for his limping Mercedes-Benz, paid for entertainment at Afrigo Band shows and Sheraton Mist Bar, and provided access to high-profile social events.
- Family Integration: Muguluma introduced the lawyer to his wife and children, treating him as a core family member. However, the lawyer never reciprocated by introducing Muguluma to his own family or home, revealing a one-way relationship where one party served merely as shelter.
- International Road Trips: When Muguluma relocated to work in Namibia in 2006, he continued flying back to Kampala for weekend gatherings. He took the lawyer on international trips across Lusaka, East London, and a long road trip from Cape Town to Durban, covering all travel and lodging expenses.
Despite warnings from senior group members at Yakobo Joint that the lawyer would eventually stab him in the back, Muguluma dismissed the advice as jealousy.
How did the New Vision media lawsuit turn brotherhood into a 200 million shilling lawsuit?
The financial appetite of the relationship escalated through two major media disputes involving regional publication New Vision:
[Media Rumor Published] ➔ [Initial Lawsuit: UGX 12M Won] ➔ [Taste of Blood / Financial Appetite]
│
[SC Villa Presidency 2014] ➔ [Out-of-Court Settlement UGX 20M] ⬅️ [Demand for UGX 200M Lawsuit]
│
▼
[Lawyer Sues Muguluma for UGX 200M Legal Fees] ➔ [Mediation Refused] ➔ [UGX 200M+ Paid]
1. The First Media Lawsuit (12 Million Shillings)
When New Vision published a false rumor in its gossip column regarding Muguluma, the lawyer initiated legal proceedings.
The court awarded a 12 million Ugandan Shillings payout. While Muguluma sought only to clear his name for family peace, the financial payout marked the first time the lawyer realized money could be generated through the name of his benefactor.
2. The SC Villa Media Dispute and Out-of-Court Settlement
In 2014, after Muguluma assumed the presidency of sports club SC Villa unopposed, New Vision published another negative article. The lawyer immediately demanded a fresh 200 million Ugandan Shillings lawsuit.
As SC Villa President and National Fans Coordinator, Muguluma preferred media publicity to rebuild club momentum rather than a legal blackout. Following advice from senior legal contacts and former Attorney General representatives, Muguluma agreed to settle out of court for 20 million Ugandan Shillings, directing the settlement check to the law firm of his lawyer friend.
3. The Court Summons and Legal Ambush
Instead of accepting the out-of-court settlement, the lawyer turned around and served Muguluma with a court summons, demanding over 200 million Ugandan Shillings in legal representation fees.
The lawyer refused all elders council meetings and mediation efforts organized by mutual friends, forcing Muguluma to pay over 200 million Ugandan Shillings in accumulated legal costs.
What are the 7 life lessons on friendship, contracts, and forgiveness from Kifuuta?
Reflecting on the 200 million shilling ordeal, the Oracle of Kifuuta outlines key principles for navigating adult friendships and business relationships:
| Core Relationship Principle | Practical Application and Warning |
| 1. The Warning of the Limping Hyena | Never mistake a limping, needy individual for a loyal partner; once they recover, their true nature re-emerges. |
| 2. One-Way Transparency | A friend who learns the names of your children but hides their own family background views you as a utility, not a brother. |
| 3. Love Requires Written Paper | Perform acts of charity freely, but execute clear, signed contracts for all professional or business dealings—even with brothers. |
| 4. Learn to Say “No” Early | Declining unwise proposals early prevents massive financial losses and emotional strain later. |
| 5. Council Over Courtrooms | A true brother resolves disputes before elders; a person who rushes to court to sue a benefactor never valued the brotherhood. |
| 6. Pork Friends vs. Bone Friends | Distinguish between thirty social weekend friends and a few “bone friends” who will escort your remains to burial without issuing an invoice. |
| 7. Forgiveness Brings Inner Peace | Release bitterness completely; true wealth is sleeping free before God with a clean heart rather than carrying anger. |
Who are the true bone friends of Joseph Mbazzi Muguluma?
Following decades of social exposure across Kampala, Namibia, and international assignments, Muguluma has narrowed his close circle of legal confidants to senior lawyers Ali Ssekatawa and Friday Kagoro—referring to them as genuine “bone friends” who stand by him without financial exploitation.
[30 Saturday Social Friends at Yakobo Joint] VS [True Bone Friends: Ali Ssekatawa & Friday Kagoro]
(Laughter, Free Fuel, Food, Invoices) (Unconditional Loyalty, Integrity, No Invoices)
Now retired from the high-pressure social scene of Kampala, Muguluma finds peace at his ancestral estate in Kifuuta Katooke, Kyotera District, Buddu.
By forgiving the past and putting down the stone of anger, the Oracle of Kifuuta reminds the next generation that true riches consist not of fat wallets in Ntinda, but of sleeping with a free, unburdened soul before God.
