A brave couple has shocked the church when they run to court seeking compensation of  UGX 600million for cancellation of their wedding, 48 hours to the event.

They accuse Registered Trustees of the Church of Uganda and Kampala Diocesan Secretary for the losses incurred and mental breakdown resulting from the halting of their marriage.

Through their lawyers of Mujurizi, Alinatwe & Byamukama Advocates, the couple identified as Benson Muhwezi and Sophie Akankwasa, claim the Registered Trustees of Church of Uganda and Kampala Diocesan Secretary acted negligently when they canceled their wedding basing on rumors.

On Monday, February 17 a notice was released demanding that the church publish an apology to the couple and pay the legal fees amounting to Shillings 10M.

In a written document addressed to the couple, Reverend Canon Awodi explained that the church had received a notice of objection to their marriage from Kemigisha Sarah the Ex to Benson Muhwezi the groom to be.

The document went on to read that Kemigisha was legally married to Muhwezi in a customary marriage when he paid the bride price of three cows and a goat at a function in her home on July 15, 2003.

The Church said it couldn’t proceed with the said marriage since Kemigisha had also complained that the issues pertaining to the custody of their two children hadn’t been resolved.

However, Muhwezi has since denied taking dowry to Kemigisha’s home as alleged.

Muhwezi explains that he met his would-be bride, Akankwasa in 2014 and started a relationship. Having cohabited with Akankwasa, now with two children, Muhwezi sought to marry her through a church wedding.

He disclosed that his issues were discussed extensively by the church leaders at St. Stephen Kitara Church of Uganda in Katwe and was guided that his old relationship wouldn’t affect his wedding.

The couple says it went through all the necessary requirements for holy matrimony including the bans of marriage for 21 days as required by law.

On November 28, 2019, the couple says “without a valid reason and without fair hearing,” their wedding was halted following a directive from the Kampala Diocesan Secretary, Reverend Canon John Awodi.

Warning that “Going ahead with this wedding prior to the matters being resolved shall be illegality.”

The distressed couple now claims that this action landed them into irrecoverable losses considering they had already paid all service providers.