Pastor Aloysius Bujjingo and Suzan Makula Nantaba were today Friday charged with contracting an illegal traditional marriage ceremony. 

Bujjingo and Makula pleaded not guilty before Entebbe grade one magistrate Stella Okwong Paculal. The state accuses Bujjingo and Makula of getting married in contravention of the Marriage Act and Penal Code Act. Bujjingo is accused of committing bigamy and contracting marriage by customary law with Makula when already married to Teddy Naluswa under the Marriage Act.

On the other hand, Makula is charged with contracting marriage with Bujjingo well aware that she is legally married to another man. Naluswa and Bujjingo got married on December 20, 2003, under certificate number, 376 at Victory Christian Centre. However, without a formal dissolution of their marriage, he allegedly married Makula under customary law on December 7, 2021, in Kawuku, Katabi town council in Wakiso district.

Last year, lawyers; Male Mabirizi and Robert Rutaro Muhairwe instituted private prosecution proceedings against Bujjingo and Makula after their alleged traditional marriage ceremony. However, this week, the director of public prosecutions (DPP) took over the case file.

Appearing before magistrate Paculal, Bujjingo denied the charges. Makula also pleaded not guilty to the charges. After denying the charges, Bujjingo and Makula's lawyers; Ronald Ruhinda and Tony Okwenye filed applications for bail. They presented four sureties each for the accused persons.

Bujjingo’s sureties included pastors; Edward Kayizi of Divine Harvest Church and Charles Ssemakula while Makula's sureties were businessman Kassim Dennis and Ronald Kizza.

The state attorney Timothy Amerit did not object to the bail applications but asked the court to exclude Kassim from Makula's list of sureties because he struggled to tell the court his relationship with her.

Paculal granted the duo bail but with stringent conditions including observance of the sub judice rule which restricts discussion of matters pending before the courts. They were told to attend court when required. 

Bujjingo and Makula were also ordered to pay a cash bond of Shs 3 million and each of the sureties a non-cash bond of Shs 10 million. But Mabirizi said that he was dissatisfied with today’s proceedings after the DPP took over the case. He says that he will petition the High court and East African Court of Justice. Paculal adjourned the case to February 18.