A decision by High Court judge Dr Joseph Murangira to decline to hear the divorce case involving House of Prayer Ministries lead pastor Aloysius Bujjingo and his official wife Teddy Naluswa until the end of mediation talks has left Suzan Makula Nantaba in tears.
While Suzan Makula and Pastor Bujjingo might have hoped for a speedy court ruling on the dissolution of the latter’s marriage with Teddy Naluswa, they will have to wait for what mediation talks will yield.
Pastor Bujjingo and Naluswa had been married for 29 years.
They had wedded at Victory Christian Centre Ndeeba, in Kampala, on December 20, 2003.
But in 2019, Bujjingo asked asked a Magistrate’s Court to dissolve his marriage with Naluswa over alleged disrespect, which the wife denies.
Bujjingo has since replaced Naluswa with Makula, a staff at his Salt Media.
Pastor Bujjingo: Not even God can make me return to Teddy and leave Suzan Makula
Now, Justice Murangira wants both Bujjingo and Naluswa to consider mediation as a path to the resolution of their differences.
Murangira has agreed with Naluswa’s laywer Arthur Ssempebwa of Katende, Ssempebwa Advocates and Bujjingo’s counsel Ronald Ruhinda of Ruhinda Advocates and Solicitors that the option of mediation be exploited before he can hear the main application.
Court has chosen Grace Assembly lead pastor Joshua Lwere as the mediator between Naluswa and her husband Bujjingo.
Both parties’ legal team have accepted Bishop Lwere, also the general overseer of the National Fellowship of the Bornagain Pentecostal Churches of Uganda (NFBPC), as mediator.
Bujjingo and Naluswa and/or their lawyers will meet at the High Court Commercial Division in Kampala on May 07 to start the mediation.
Some time towards the end of May, Justice Murangira will receive a report from the parties’ lawyers.
If mediation talks fail, hearing of the application will start in June 2021.
A review of the progress of the talks at the start of next month could determine if the parties need more time.
