Richard Tumushabe, 19, a man who disguised as a woman and got married to a Muslim cleric has been charged with two counts of theft and committing an unnatural offence.
Tumushabe was charged on Tuesday by Kayunga Grade One Magistrate’s Court.
He was charged with two counts of committing an unnatural offence contrary to Section 145 of the Penal Code Act and theft.
It is alleged that, Tumushabe stole a television set and clothes worth Shs2.3m, property of Eryazi Jimmy of Kyampisi Village in Kayunga Sub-county.
The Kayunga Grade One Magistrate, Ms Allen Akello barred Tumushabe from taking any plea since his case could only be heard by the High Court.
Tumushabe was remanded to Ntenjeru prison until January 24 when he will be brought back for hearing of his case.
The magistrate advised that the suspect was free to apply for bail.
“It is true I did something wrong and I regret it but my current condition forced me to do it. I’m a born of Ishaka but I grew up on Kampala streets under very harsh conditions that forced me to act the way I did and I regret it,” Tumushabe said before entering the courtroom.
Background:
Sheikh Mohammed Mutumba, the Imam of Kyampisi Masjid Noor mosque in Kayunga last week got a shock of his life after finding out that the woman he had married was a man.
After exchanging Islamic marriage vows (nikkah), the couple spent two weeks of their marriage, without enjoying conjugal rights as the “bride” [Swabullah Nabukeera] claimed she was in her menstruation periods.
Mutumba said after his wife claimed to be in her menses, he became patient and waited for her to get better.
However, Nabukeera’s luck ran out after Mutumba’s neighbour claimed that his newly wedded wife had jumped over a wall and stole their television set and clothes.
Mutumba rents a two-roomed house where they had been staying with Nabukeera. However, the wall that separates the two rental rooms did not reach the iron sheets.
Kayunga District criminal investigations officer, Isaac Mugera said when Nabukeera reached the police station she was wearing a hijab and sandals.
“As the police’s normal practice, a female police officer, searched the suspect thoroughly before taking ‘her’ to the cells. However, to the shock of the officer, the suspect had stacked clothes in the bra to hoodwink that they were breasts,” Mugera told the local daily.
“On further search, we discovered that the suspect had male genitals. We quickly informed ‘her’ husband who had escorted her to the police station,” he said.
The news shocked Mutumba who asked the police to let him prove for himself by allowing him to see the private parts of his ‘wife’.
On discovering that he was a fellow man, Mutumba made an alarm accusing Nabukeera of being a thief.
“I was looking for a woman to marry and when I landed on a beautiful girl wearing a hijab, I asked her for love and she accepted. We fell in love, however, she told me we could not have sex until I take dowry to her parents and also exchange marriage vows,” Mutumba said.
The neighbor reported the case at Kayunga Police Station before detectives were dispatched to arrest Nabukeera. Following arrest, the ‘bride’ revealed his real name as Richard Tumushabe, 19.
Mutumba suspended:
Early this week, Mutumba was suspended from his clerical work of preaching.
Sheikh Isa Busuulwa, the head Imam of Masjid Noor of Kyampisi said Mutumba was under investigation over the unfortunate incident and that he had been suspended from work.
Sheikh Busuulwa further explained that although he attended Mutumba’s wedding reception, as the mosque leadership, they did not take part in the preparations of his function.
Sheikh Najibula Yahaya Ndyeyagala, the Imam of Bukolooto Mosque said that Mutumba’s issues are being handled by the Uganda Muslim Supreme Council.
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