MP Tinkasiimire gets back bride price

By Ismael Kasooha

KIBAALE – The father of Lynn Mbabazi who was married to Buyaga West MP Barnabas Tinkasiimire, has returned the bride price to the legislator’s family after a collapsed marriage.

Addressing members of the two families on Saturday, Amos Bakeine said it was prudent that the cattle that had been given to them as bride price are returned because the marriage between Tinkasimire and Mbabazi had crumbled.

He returned the 25 head of cattle bride price to Tinkasimire’s father Ericalido Rwemera.

During the meeting, the elderly man explained that in the Bakiga culture, when a woman decides to separate from her husband, the entire bride price is supposed to be returned to the husband’s family.

“It is our culture as Bakiga to return the bride price when the woman decides to divorce the husband under normal circumstances,” said Bakeine.

Two years ago in July, Rwemera’s family gave Bakeine’s kinfolk 25 head of cattle in preparation for the official giveaway (kuhingira) of Mbabazi to Tinkasimire, a function that was scheduled for October 2012 and the wedding in November the same year.

However, before the giveaway, the marriage went sour, with Mbabazi claiming she could not manage the relationship.
 

Lynn Mbabazi and MP Barnabas Tinkasiimire's marriage hit a dead end

Ensuing efforts to reconcile the two failed and in December 2013, Mbabazi vowed never to return to Tinkasimire’s home and the marriage ended there.

A meeting was organised in June this year where the two families met in Kampala to organise for the return of the bride price because nothing could be done to salvage the broken marriage.

Before the cattle were handed back, Bakeine’s family turned down a delegation sent by Tinkasiimire to collect the cattle, saying it was against the Bakiga culture to hand over bride price to a mere delegation without the man’s father or an official handwritten letter.

Legislator Tinkasiimire, who was not available to receive the cattle, but coordinated the proceedings on phone, hired a car that took his father (Rwemera) to Kisiita East village in Kisiita sub-county to pick the cattle.

In a short-lived meeting, Rwemera said he had been briefed by his son that Mbabazi had taken away everything in the house, including a car at the time he (Tinkasiimire) was in neighboring Rwanda for studies.

“Basing on that, I have come for my cattle that we brought as bride price. Nothing much,” he declared.

A handwritten letter was drafted detailing how Rwemera had taken back his cattle that were for bride price.

After receiving the cattle, Rwemera said he would have loved his son to marry from Bakeine’s family because it is well organised and have a close relationship, but was let down by Mbabazi.


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