Chief Magistrate’s Court has declined to dismiss a divorce case filed by Pastor Aloysius Bugingo of House of Prayer Ministries Church located at Makerere Kikoni, Kampala.
Bugingo’s wife, Teddy Naluswa, through her lawyer Julius Galisonga, had asked the trial Magistrate Mary Babirye to dismiss the case on grounds that the court lacked jurisdiction to try the case.
Naluswa argued that the matrimonial property value involved in the matter surpassed sh50m, which the chief magistrate is allowed to handle under the law. “The property in contention is worth over sh1b and it is beyond the jurisdiction of this court and it should be dismissed,” Galisonga contended.
Babirye said issues of the properties will only come up after the court has pronounced itself on the divorce case. A move which may see her loose billions in case divorce is awarded to the couple
“In my view, the matrimonial property does not form the subject matter of the divorce proceedings before the court. The application is, therefore, dismissed,” Babirye ruled on Wednesday.
On May 9, Bugingo petitioned the court, seeking to have his marriage with Naluswa dissolved, on grounds that the love, attraction he had for her had been swept away, they are incompatible and can no longer live together.
Bugingo accuses his wife of mistreatment and embarrassing him in the presence of his church members, friends, and their children. According to Bugingo, Naluswa exhibits cruelty, selfishness and ungrateful attitude towards him, despite his love and kind deeds to her.
“On August 10, 2015, I presented the agreement of purchase of church land to her, but she instead threw the papers in my face in the presence of our children and she branded me a mad person,” Bugingo says in his petition.
He says in January last year, Naluswa allegedly embarrassed him in the presence of his colleague Pastor Edward Kayizzi, who was a mediator in their case.
“She later started sending me abusive and threatening messages on her mobile phone, prompting me to live our marital home in Kitende, Wakiso district,” Bugingo said.
He wants the court to dissolve their marriage, in addition to sharing the property acquired and developed by them jointly. Wife against divorce Naluswa, however, is against the dissolution of their marriage on grounds that it is unchristian for them to break their words sworn before God, not for any reason, but lies.