A woman identified as Fortunate Kyarikunda, a law enforcement officer attached to Rubanda Town Council, has been sentenced to six months in civil prison after failing to pay Shs14.1 million to her former lover following a breach of a marriage promise. The ruling was made by the Rukungiri Chief Magistrate’s Court, presided over by Chief […]
A woman identified as Fortunate Kyarikunda, a law enforcement officer attached to Rubanda Town Council, has been sentenced to six months in civil prison after failing to pay Shs14.1 million to her former lover following a breach of a marriage promise.
The ruling was made by the Rukungiri Chief Magistrate’s Court, presided over by Chief Magistrate Dinah Nekesa, after Kyarikunda failed to comply with a previous court order requiring her to compensate Richard Tumwiine, a primary school teacher.
The dispute dates back to January 2023, when the Kanungu Grade One Magistrate’s Court ordered Kyarikunda to refund Shs9.4 million that Tumwiine had spent sponsoring her education at the Law Development Centre in Kampala while they were preparing to marry. The court also awarded Shs1 million in general damages for emotional distress.
Kyarikunda attempted to overturn the ruling, arguing she had not received court summons because her sister was using her phone, but both her application in Kanungu and a later petition in Rukungiri were dismissed.
Despite the rulings, she failed to pay the money. On March 10, 2026, she was arrested while on duty and later presented before court, which ordered her remand to Rukungiri Government Prison for six months for failing to pay the compensation.
The couple began their relationship in 2015 while working as teachers at Kiringa Primary School and had planned to marry in 2022. However, Kyarikunda later called off the marriage, reportedly saying Tumwiine was too old and marrying him would cause her stress.
