Justice Dr Joseph Murangira of the High Court on Thursday last week told lawyers representing Bugingo and Naluswa to first explore the option of mediation before the case can be heard.
The case had been scheduled for hearing, but court deferred it after lawyers representing both parties requested to have the matter mediated. Arthur Ssempebwa from Katende, Ssempebwa Advocates represents Naluswa, while Ronald Ruhinda from Ruhinda Advocates and Solicitors represents Bugingo.
Court mediation is a private process where a neutral third person helps the parties involved to discuss and try to resolve a dispute.
Whereas there can be mediation, the process can remain voluntary in that the parties are not required to come to an agreement.
According to court records, Bishop Joshua Lwere was appointed as the mediator between Bugingo and his wife. Lwere is the general overseer of the National Fellowship of the Bornagain Pentecostal Churches of Uganda (NFBPC).
He is also the founder and senior pastor of Grace Assembly. Both parties did not oppose the appointment of Bishop Lwere to mediate the matter with a view of resolving the dispute without going through a court process.
During a brief hearing before Justice Murangira, the lawyers agreed that the parties should meet on May 7 at the Commercial Court in Nakasero, Kampala to start the mediation process. The main case was adjourned to June 1 to review the progress of the mediation.
In 2019, Bugingo filed a divorce case at Kajjansi Chief Magistrate’s Court in Kampala against his wife, seeking dissolution of the marriage.
In her response to the divorce case, Naluswa maintains that she has never been disrespectful to Bugingo ever since they walked down the aisle many years ago. She argues that she still has faith in their marriage, which is why she considers it valid. The couple got married at Victory Christian Centre Ndeeba in Kampala, on December 20, 2003.
Naluswa opposed the dissolution of their marriage, saying what God has put together, no person can separate. Recently, Bugingo was quoted in the media as saying that he will never reunite with his wife. “Even if you call God to sit here, I will never get back with Teddy,” Bugingo is quoted to have told his followers. He accuses his wife of being in communication with his known rivals.
He did not, however, name the said rivals.Bugingo became a centre of controversy when his wife came out and accused him of having ordered her to apply for a divorce.
According to Naluswa, Bugingo had replaced her with an employee at his TV station, Salt TV. She protested against the dissolution of their marriage and majority of the public and other church leaders are sympathising with her.
Bugingo and Naluswa had been married for 29 years before they developed the differences.
