The Kajjansi Chief Magistrate’s Court has dismissed an application by Teddy Naluswa Bugingo where she stated that her estranged husband Pastor Aloysius Bugingo filed a divorce case before a lower court that lacks powers to handle cases, whose matrimonial property value exceeds Shs50 million.
Through her lawyer Julius Galisonga, Teddy stated that their property had accumulated and is worth more than Shs1 billion, thus the divorce case should have been lodged at High Court’s Family Division.
However, according to Daily Monitor, Mary Babirye, the trial magistrate, instead deferred the application until after the hearing of Pastor Bugingo’s petition such that the evidence pertaining to the issue raised is heard.
The magistrate explained that this would deter a move by court to pronounce that it has no jurisdiction because the matrimonial property exceeds the pecuniary jurisdiction.
“It is my view therefore that matrimonial property does not form the subject matter of the divorce proceedings because it is after the pronouncement by court on whether a divorce has been granted that those other issues are considered,” Justice Babirye ruled.
In July this year, the House of Prayer Ministries International (HPMI) lead preacher agreed to share his property with Teddy as one of the conditions for their divorce.
In a closed-door court hearing at the Chief Magistrate Court in Entebbe, Bugingo made it clear that he is not willing and ready to reconcile with Teddy. He said he should be allowed to marry another woman of his choice.
Amongst the property to be shared include; Salt Media, House of Prayer Ministries International, plots of land in Wakiso and Mukono, among others.
The couple married at Victory Christian Centre Ndeeba, in Kampala, on December 20, 2003.
Early this year, Bugingo and Teddy’s love story turned sour when the former publicly exposed the latter whom he accused of wanting to kill him. He also accused her of conspiring to steal his Church land.
Meanwhile, Teddy has since opposed the divorce petition stating church marriage is meant to last for forever and that her husband has no valid as to why he is divorcing her.
