Richard Tumwiine, who won a civil suit against his ex-lover for breach of marriage promise, says that he ran to the court to avoid taking law into his own hands. Tumwiine 40, a primary school teacher and resident of Kagoongo-Nyakagyezi village in Nyarutojo parish, Kambuga sub-county, Kanungu district filed civil suit number 024 of 2022 against Fortunate Kyarikunda from Kiringa parish for breach of marriage promise.
According to Tumwiine, he met Kyarikunda at Kiringa primary school in Kambunga sub-county, Kanungu district where he was a teacher in 2015. Kyarikunda was conducting teaching practice at the same school. The two fell in love and agreed in 2018 to get married. Tumwiine reportedly gave Kyarikunda Shillings 9,439,100 to complete her Diploma in legal practice at the Kampala-based Law Development Center-LDC.
After completing her bar course, the lovebirds agreed on January 10, 2022, to arrange an introduction ceremony scheduled for February 2022. However, Tumwiine was shocked in February 2022 when Kyarikunda backed out of the marriage plan, saying that she can’t proceed because her suitor is over 60 years of age and she is not ready to face stress in the marriage.
In his ruling, the Kanungu Grade One Magistrate, Asanansio Mukobi, said that despite being served, Kyarikunda failed to file her defense. Mukobi ruled that since the marriage promise was not fulfilled, Tumwiine is entitled to the reimbursement of the Shillings 9,439,100 he spent on her. Based on article 126 (2) (c) of the Constitution of the Republic of Uganda 1995 as amended, which provides for adequate compensation for victims of wrongs, Mukobi ordered Kyarikunda to pay Shillings 1,000,000 to Tumwiine as general damage for inconveniences and psychological anguish.
Since the ruling was issued, Kyarikunda who currently works as the Law Enforcement Officer in Rubanda Town council, Rubanda district has switched off her mobile phones. On Saturday afternoon, our reporter found Tumwiine in Kagoongo-Nyakagyezi village in Nyarutojo parish working on his banana plantation. Kiringa who now teaches at Kishororo Church of Uganda Primary school in Rugyeyo sub-county in the same district narrates that after receiving disappointing news from Kyarikunda through a phone call, he developed too much anger and self-hatred.
He revealed that he mobilized money from his monthly salary, agriculture produce sales, and commercial houses in the nearby Kanyantorogo sub-county, with an aim of fulfilling the marriage promise. Tumwiine however says that he regained courage when he visited the area LC 3 chairperson and Crime Intelligence officers at Kambuga police post who advised him to calm down and seek court redress since the matter is civil in nature.
He argues that by the time the two met, he was 33 while Kyarikunda was in her 20s
Tumwiine explains that his court victory didnt return happiness to his mind. He revealed that his failed marriage plan should act as a lesson to members of the public that keeping faith and a promise is very important.
Asked if he plans to get a new lover for marriage, Tumwiine said that he is very ready because his experience with Kyarikunda is not the end of his life, and not all women are like his ex. He says that what happened to him should also be a lesson to the public that it is good to stop doing wrong to people in society in order to live in peace.
Pamella Kebirungi, a teacher at Kishororo church of Uganda primary school wonders why Kyarikunda disappointed Tumwiine since he is known as a jolly and transparent person. According to Kebirungi, if Kyarikunda knew that she is unable to fulfill the marriage promise, she shouldn’t have accepted the money.
But Sam Kajojo Arineteitwe, the Kanungu District LC 5 Chairperson strongly protests the court verdict arguing that it encourages men to target school-going girls coming from poor families with money with the mission of sexually harassing them.
Kajojo argues that since Kyarikunda was still a student by then, Tumwiine being a professional, qualified to be his father but not a lover. Kajojo says that Kanungu district council will sit and discuss means of petitioning against the ruling for judicial review.
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