Sheikh Mohammed Mutumba, the Kyampisi Masjid Noor mosque Imam in Kayunga who unwittingly married a fellow man, has been further remanded to Ntenjeru prison.

Today Friday, Mutumba, 27, appeared in court but the case could not proceed due to the absence of the chief magistrate Juliet Hatanga.

Mutumba was arrested earlier this month and charged with having carnal knowledge with a person against the order of nature after he wedded Richard Tumushabe alias Swabullah Nabukeera who posed as a woman.

The accused first appeared before the Kayunga Grade One magistrate Irene Akello on January 6 but was not allowed to take plea because his case can only be heard by a higher court. Their case was adjourned to February 5. Mutumba is jointly charged with Tumushabe. Prosecution alleges that Mutumba and Tumushabe committed the offence in December 2019.

Richard Tumushabe (R) in court with other suspects

Tumushabe’s true gender was uncovered by police officers who had arrested him on allegations of stealing a television set and clothes of their neighbour.

When he was body searched, police officers discovered that Tumushabe had male genitals. He has since given interviews saying he fooled the sheikh into a false wedding for economic reasons.

Mutumba has since been suspended from his cleric duties. He said he hadn’t been intimate with his ‘wife’ since the wedding two weeks before because she told him she was menstruating.

Mutumba said he thought he was marrying a woman when they wed in a traditional Islamic ceremony (Nikah) back in December. urn