Ugandan court orders woman to pay ex-fiance over breach of marriage promise

An Ugandan court had ordered a woman to pay back a total of 9.4 million shillings ($2,550; £2,060) to her ex-fiancé for failing to marry him after four years of marital relationship.

Magistrate Asanasio Mukobi of the court in Kanungu gave the verdict on Thursday saying the woman, Fortunate Kyarikunda broke her promise to Richard Tumwine.

Mukobi said the amount was what Tumwine paid for Kyarikunda’s law studies and legal fees as financial damages for causing him psychological anguish, BBC said.

Kyarikunda had said her parents did not give consent to the marriage because Tumwine was older than her.

Ruling, the court said it was “unreasonable, a misrepresentation and a fraud” for the defendant to argue that her parents told her not to marry an older man.

The magistrate said she “had all the opportunity to reject the plaintiff’s love requests at the earliest point possible and avoid interfering with his financial obligations.”

Reports, however, said it was not certain if Kyarikunda will appeal against the judgment as verdict was flawed because an engagement, unlike a marriage, should not be legally binding.

(TNT)