African tradition and culture holds with great esteem the institution of marriage, which is often crowned with an introduction ceremony that cements the bond between the two families of the groom and the bride, But a case before court in Luweero District has a strange account.
Luweero Magistrate’s Court presided over by Ms Mariam Nalujja Sserwanga on Tuesday heard that a man together with her lover allegedly plotted to kill his wife after their colourful introduction ceremony.
Ms Lilian Nambowa told court that her husband was arrested over the matter three days after the introduction ceremony.
She said the accused, Mr Friday Musoke, together with friends and relatives on December 29, 2022, visited her parents in Mukono District for the function.
Mr Musoke and his lover, Ms Enid Kanyonyozi, are accused of attempted murder of Ms Nambowa, a wife of the former.
“After the introduction ceremony, we returned home and I thanked my husband for the successful visit to my parents,” Ms Nambowa told court.
“On January 2, when I got the news about the arrest of my husband and the corresponding case against him, it was very shocking. I was totally innocent about what was happening behind my back and had no misunderstanding days to the unfortunate news,” she added.
Musoke and her mistress Kanyonyonzi were arrested by police for allegedly attempting to bribe a medical doctor, Dr Onesmus Bainomugisha, to have Ms Nambowa, a mother of his four children, killed through a medical procedure. Dr Bainomugisha alleges that the duo tried to offer him Shs5m for the procedure.
Asked by prosecution during cross-examination on how she came to know about her husband targeting her own life, Ms Nambowa informed court that she was puzzled and tried to get facts from her husband following his arrest.
“My husband’s response was not very straight. He said they had arrested him for attempted murder, but did not give details about the case. The shock of my life was when we proceeded to the Flying Squad Police Unit where I got the details,” Ms Nambowa added.
She revealed that she had carried Shs500,000 and her National Identity Card to the Police in Luweero anticipating that her husband could have been caught up in another lighter case where she would process for him a police bond.
She said she had even carried food and some changing clothes for her husband.
“After the shocking news, I became confused and had to call my uncle, Mr Musa Bogere, to help me understand what was happening and how we could get about the shocking news,” she told court.
Asked about how she got to know about the other co-accused Ms Kanyonyozi, Ms Nambowa told court that the former had been having a love affair with her husband (Musoke).
“On two occasions I got them together, but the third incident is when we decided to involve the Police Family Protection unit in Luweero District,” she said.
“We were all summoned to the police, including Ms Kanyonyozi, where he asked for forgiveness and signed an agreement clarifying that he had ended his relationship with Ms Kanyonyozi. This was witnessed by my relatives and the police. This is all I know about Ms Kanyonyozi,” she told court.
The magistrate adjourned the matter to May 10 for further hearing.
Background
Musoke was arrested on January 2 after he allegedly conspired with Kanyonyonzi to bribe a medical doctor, Dr Onesmus Bainomugisha, to have his wife killed through a medical procedure. The suspects had allegedly tried to bribe Dr Bainomugisha from Global Medical Centre with Shs5m for the medical procedure to rule out any possible foul play.
