Woman jailed over failure to pay Shs14m for broken marriage promise

A law enforcement officer attached to Rubanda Town Council has been sent to prison after failing to comply with a court order requiring her to compensate her former boyfriend for breaching a promise to marry him.

Fortunate Kyarikunda, a resident of Kiringa parish in Kanungu district, was committed to civil prison by the Chief Magistrate’s Court in Rukungiri for failing to pay Shs14,099,100 to Richard Tumwiine, a primary school teacher from Kagoongo–Nyakagyezi village in Nyarutojo parish.

The dispute dates back to January 2023 when the Kanungu Magistrate’s Court ruled that Kyarikunda should refund Tumwiine Shs9,439,100 he had spent supporting her education while the two were planning to marry. The court also awarded Tumwiine Shs1 million in general damages for inconvenience and emotional distress after Kyarikunda failed to appear in court or file a defence.

Instead of paying the money, Kyarikunda later asked the court to cancel the judgment, saying she had never received court summons because her phone had been used by her sister at the time. The court dismissed the application. She made another attempt before the Rukungiri Grade One Magistrate’s Court using similar arguments, but the request was again rejected.

Despite the rulings, she did not settle the debt. On Tuesday, March 10, 2026, authorities arrested her in Rubanda town while she was on duty and transferred her to Rukungiri. She was later presented before court for failing to comply with the earlier order.

Grade One Magistrate Dinah Nekesa ordered that Kyarikunda be detained at Rukungiri Government Prison for up to six months or until the outstanding amount is fully paid.

Court records show the unpaid amount had grown to Shs14,099,100 by the time of her arrest.

Tumwiine’s lawyer, Erasmus Nabimanya of Nabimanya and Company Advocates, said the court decision was justified because the accused had deliberately ignored the order.

The two met in 2015 while teaching at Kiringa Primary School in Kambuga sub-county. In 2018, they entered into a marriage agreement. Tumwiine later financed Kyarikunda’s studies at the Law Development Centre in Kampala, believing the investment would support their future together.

After completing the bar course, the couple planned to hold an introduction ceremony in February 2022. However, Kyarikunda later cancelled the plans, saying the relationship could not continue because of the large age difference between them.

Following the cancellation, Tumwiine took the matter to court seeking compensation for breach of a marriage promise and recovery of the money he had spent on her education.

In an earlier interview, Tumwiine said he chose legal action instead of retaliation after local leaders and police advised him to pursue justice through the courts.

Kyarikunda declined to comment on the matter.

Summary: A Rubanda Town Council law enforcement officer has been jailed for up to six months after failing to pay Shs14 million ordered by court for breaching a marriage promise to her former partner.