For refusing to marry her lover who had sponsored her education, a woman has now been ordered to refund shillings 9.4 million (about $80,000).
A court in Uganda gave the order for Fortunate Kyarikunda to refund the money when she backed out of marrying Richard Tumwine who had paid her school fees.
Kyarikunda is also expected to pay legal costs of her former lover, local news outlet Nile post reported.
The Magistrate court documents showed that Tumwine, while working as a teacher at Kiringa Primary School in 2015, met Kyarikunda who had come to the same school for teaching practice.
Both started a love relationship and then finally decided to marry in 2018. Tumwine following this promise committed to sponsoring her female lover, Kyarinkunda through her studies at the Law Development Centre (LDC), costing him Shs9.4m.
“The plaintiff financially supported the defendant including sponsoring her for a Diploma in Law at LDC. He spent Shs9,439, 100,” the court document partly reads.
After agreeing to arrange an introduction ceremony in February 2022, Tumwine told the court that Kyarikunda turned down the proposal on the grounds that he was too old for her.
“On 10th January 2022, the two persons arranged for an introduction ceremony and a budget was drawn with the function slated for February 2022. The defendant later turned against the plaintiff saying she cannot marry an old man hence this suit,” the court document stated.
Tumwine went to court seeking reimbursement of the funds he had spent on his former lover prior before their relationship broke down.
Kyarikunda was served with court processes but failed to file a defence to the suit, hence granting Tumwine an order to proceed with the suit.
The court then ruled in favour of Tumwine and ordered Kyarikunda to refund Shs9.4 that was spent on her for breaching the promise to marry.
“Consequently, I hold that since the promise to marry was not fulfilled by the defendant to the detriment of the plaintiff, then the plaintiff is entitled to reimbursement of his Shs9,439,100 spent on her,” the judge ruled.
The court further ruled that Kyarikunda pays Shs1m in general damages to Tumwine for inconveniences and psychological anguish.
“..I find that this is a proper case in which the plaintiff should be awarded the costs of the suit to be paid by the defendant. I so order.” the judge ordered.
