Judith Babirye's marriage had a rocky start
Aug 22, 2019
Provia Nangobi, the Uganda Registration Services Bureau spokesperson, had said Babirye was still registered as married to her first husband, Samuel Niiwo and the marriage had not been dissolved.
FAMILY
Just as the queen of gospel music in Uganda, Judith Babirye was preparing her gomesi for that great moment with Paul Musoke Sebulime, on 28 July 2018, the experts had already predicted that the marriage was not going to last.
Lawyers said the two lawmakers would have fun for a short time, but that they would not legitimise their marriage according to the laws on marriage. Provia Nangobi, the Uganda Registration Services Bureau (URSB) spokesperson had said that Babirye was still registered as married to her first husband, Samuel Niiwo and the marriage had not been dissolved.
Niiwo at that time said the court had given them time to reconcile, but they had not done the final steps into dissolving the marriage. He was quoted saying: "We have not yet finalised the divorce papers. We completed the first phase but I have not yet signed final marriage dissolution."
A family lawyer, Eva Kentaro Mugerwa, had also said if Niiwo wanted, he could have stopped the introduction and sue Babirye for bigamy because it is illegal to be married to two different men at ago.
"When you file for divorce, the court gives you an interim decree (decree absolute) with the hope that within six months, you will reconcile. If you do not reconcile and the court has not given you a divorce decree, it means you are still legally married," Kentaro explained.
"Since the husband said he has not signed the divorce decree; it means that they are still legally married. Unless they sign the divorce decree today morning before the function, they are still married." Kentaro, a former registrar of marriage at the URSB said a day before the introduction ceremony.
Like the experts had predicted, the fun lasted barely a year and the two lovebirds were not able to celebrate their first anniversary. Right from the beginning, speculation was rife about the status of their marriage. Was it right for Babirye to introduce a man with kids? was a question that played out in the gutter press.
As the media and Uganda public was beginning to wonder about the silence of Babirye, news came out that actually, even her marriage with Ssebulime had gone silent.
To make the matters worse, information came in that actually, Sebulime had secretly been introduced to his first wife Lukiya Ntale's parents over the weekend.
Lukia had been with Ssebulime for over eight years before Babirye came in the picture and that the two have three children, including a set of five-year-old twins Kato and Babirye Musoke and the first-born, a boy of nine years.
When Babirye who is rumoured to be pregnant learnt of her ex-lover's betrayal, she flew to the US.
Babirye's last marriage
Babirye is one of the most successful and talented gospel artistes in Uganda with a number of albums and hits to her name. when Judith Babirye's music is played, newborn babies stop crying. Her music speaks to the soul.
She was married to Niiwo with whom they have a daughter.
However, in 2017, January, Babirye filed for divorce, saying their marriage was stormy and characterised by sadness owing to what she described as Niiwo's cruel, erratic, violent behaviour and lack of respect to the sanctity of their marriage.
Babirye accused Niiwo of being a serial adulterer, who neglected his fatherly responsibilities to the many children he fathers out of his numerous relationships.
She asked the court to relieve her of the burden and free her from a violent marriage. She cited an incident when Niiwo physically assaulted her, hence forcing her to flee their marital home in November 2009.
Babirye also asked the court to grant her sole custody of their 11-year-old daughter.
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