Ugandan Imam who wedded fellow man charged, remanded

Sheikh Mohammed Mutumba, the Imam of Kyampisi Masjid Noor who unknowingly wedded a fellow man in the Islamic culture (Nikah) has been taken to court, charged with having carnal knowledge with a person against the order of nature, and remanded to Ntenjeru prison.

Appearing before the Kayunga Grade One magistrate Ms Irene Akello on Thursday, Sheikh Mutumba, 27, was not allowed to take plea because his case can only be heard by a higher court.

Sheikh Mutumba, is jointly charged with Richard Tumushabe alias Swabullah Nabukeera. Prosecution alleges that Sheikh Mutumba and Tumushabe, committed the offence in December 2019. The duo are to reappear in court on January 24, for further hearing of the cases against them.

Sheikh Mutumba wedded Tumushabe unknowingly and it is the police that uncovered his true gender when officers searched him before taking him to cells on charges of stealing a television set and clothes of their neighbour.

According to Kayunga District Police Commander, Mr John Lukooto, Tumushabe had duped a number of men who fell in love with ‘her’ and later stole their money.

Mr Lukooto said one of the victims from Mayuge District came to Kayunga police station after seeing the suspect in newspapers and testified how he fooled them that ‘she’ was their relative and convinced them to receive ‘her’ husband for introduction.

“On the introduction day, Tumushabe claimed the husband had got an accident on the way to the function and that he had died,” Mr Lukooto said.

Mr Lukooto said the relatives collected Shs400, 000 which they gave ‘her’ to go and attend the burial of the husband but ‘she’ never came back.