Who is Tom Kitandwe? Flash Uganda Media looks at his biography, age, wife, family, tribe, achievements, and relationship with Ronnie Kaddu, Kyeswa, Gaster Lule, and Hajj Badru Muwanga, John Michael Ariong, the early life and education of a Ugandan businessman and one of the country’s wealthiest people.
Tom Kitandwe is a Ugandan businessman and one of the country’s wealthiest people.
He owns the Galiraaya and Gazaland buildings in the centre of Kampala city, as well as numerous other properties.
Tom Kitandwe is a member of the Kwagalana Group, which consists of only Uganda’s wealthiest individuals.
Early Life and Education
Tom Kitandwe was born in Maawe, Maganjo in Uganda after his parents had relocated from Kasaka, Gomba district.
Kitandwe began his career in business at a young age. In the 1980s, he sold sugar, maize, and wheat to grain milling enterprises in Jinja.
He is a married man with children. He lost his son Ronnie Kaddu in 2022.
Career and Professional Work Experience
Tom Kitandwe began his career as a wheat agent in Kikuubo before venturing into the real estate market.
In Kampala, he now owns at least 12-storey buildings.
Among the buildings he currently owns are the Giant Shopping Arcade in Kikuubo, the Nakasero complex on Nakivubo Road, the Mid City Arcade on Nakivubo Road, and the Mackay Buildings on Old Rashid Khamis Road near the New Taxi Park.
He has also built structures in Arua Park, Parkyard, and behind Gazaland.
Hajj Majid Bagalaaliwo recently sold Kitandwe People’s Plaza on Ben Kiwanuka Street.
In addition, he is the sole distributor of Mukwano items. Kyeswa, Gaster Lule, and Hajj Badru Muwanga are his business partners.
Achievements and Awards
Kitandwe Tom owns an exquisite home on Mityana Road that sits on 47 miles of Milo land.
His net worth is estimated to be around $10 million (Sh20 billion).
His best-known buildings are Kikuubo Giant Shopping Arcade, Nakasero Complex on Nakivubo Road, Mid City Arcade on Nakivubo Road, Mackay Building on Old Rashid Khamis Road, Galiraaya and Gazaland buildings.
Controversies
Tom Kitandwe, who had gone to inspect construction work at the site, was one of over 100 persons detained in connection with the killing of AIP Ariong in March 2012.
Tom, the owner of a building site where the stone that killed Assistant Inspector of Police John Michael Ariong allegedly originated, was apprehended and severely tortured at the Special Investigations Unit offices in Kireka.
In what appears to be a savage campaign to avenge Ariong’s death, police officers and a motley gang of security agents attacked the building site on Ben Kiwanuka Street and detained Tom Kitandwe, site engineers, labourers, and everyone in the vicinity.
Kirumira and another Kwagalana member, Gaster Lule, offered a non-cash bail of Shs 2.5 million for Kitandwe’s release. Kitandwe had to be put on oxygen by the time he was released at Daniels’ Clinic in Bweyogerere.
Tom Kitandwe was on the scene in January 2020 for construction on a portion of the Nakivubo Channel. He was erecting a multi-story skyscraper between St. Balikuddembe Market (Owino) and the Ham Shopping grounds.
The building had been extended to cover a portion of the channel, which alarmed traders and leaders, prompting them to file a complaint with the State Minister for the Kampala Capital City Authority-KCCA, Benna Namugwanya.
The traders accused Kitandwe of being inconsiderate because he had denied them access to their establishments.
Kitandwe stated that he had no disagreement with the merchants and blamed the disagreement on different business competitors.
He claimed to have KCCA permission that allowed him to build on the waterway. He further stated that the permit was just for temporary constructions and not permanent ones.
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