- According to court documents filed before Entebbe Chief Magistrate’s Court yesterday, Pastor Bujjingo faces charges of contracting marriage by customary law when he is already married under the Marriage Act.
A lawyer has sued Pastor Aloysious Bujjingo of House of Prayer Ministries International for entering into a second marriage without divorcing his estranged wife Teddy Naluswa.
The pastor is jointly sued with his new partner Suzan Makula Nantaba.
According to court documents filed before Entebbe Chief Magistrate’s Court yesterday, Pastor Bujjingo faces charges of contracting marriage by customary law when he is already married under the Marriage Act.
Lawyer Male Mabirizi privately instituted the criminal charges against Pastor Bujjingo.
“Aloysious Bujjingo on December 7 2021, at Kawuku, Katabi Town Council, Wakiso District, you having contracted marriage under the Marriage Act with Teddy Naluswa , and during the continuance of that marriage, contracted a marriage in accordance with customary law with Suzan Makula Nantaba,” the court documents state.
Ms Makula faces the offence of marrying someone who is already married.
“Suzan Makula on December 7, 2021, at Kawuku, being unmarried, went through the ceremony of marriage with Aloysious Bujjingo, a person whom you knew to be married to Teddy Naluswa Bujjingo,”Mr Mabirizi contends.
Ms Makula introdcued Pastor Bujjingo to her parents at their home in Kawuku on Entebbe Road in Wakiso District.
Pastor Bujjingo was initially married in church to Ms Naluswa in 2003, but the two separated.
In his compliant on oath to support the privately instituted criminal charges, Mr Mabirizi contends that since Pastor Bujjingo and Ms Makula knew that he was married to Ms Naluswa, they are both criminally liable.
“I know that the marriage still subsists since no competent court has ever dissolved it,” Mr Mabirizi avers.
He also castigates police for providing security during Pastor Bujjingo’s introduction ceremony, saying they should have arrested him instead since they knew he was breaking the law.
By press time, the court had not yet put out criminal summons asking the duo to respond.
What law says
Sections 42 of the Marriage Act, which forbids marriage with a person previously married states: “Any person who, being unmarried, goes through the ceremony of marriage with a person whom he or she knows to be married to another person, commits an offence and is liable on conviction to imprisonment for a period not exceeding five years.”
Likewise, Section 50 forbids one contracting marriage by customary law when already married under the Act.