The Imam of Kyampisi Masjid Noor mosque in Kayunga District, Uganda, Mr. Mohammed Mutumba, has been suspended after he unknowingly wedded a fellow man.
Daily Monitor reported that the imam had discovered two weeks after that his supposed wife was a man.
According to regional Kadhi Sheikh Abdul Noor Kakande, the move to suspend the 27-year-old was aimed at preserving the integrity of the faith.
Mutumba exchanged vows with Swabullah Nabukeera a fortnight ago after meeting at the Kyampisi mosque.
However, two weeks into their union, the couple was reported not to have been intimate as the supposed bride claimed that she was on her period.
Mutumba also said they were not intimate before the marriage.
It was gathered that during the waiting period, Mutumba’s neighbour accused his newly-wedded wife of jumping over a wall separating their houses and stealing clothes and a television set.
The matter was reported to the police.
Kayunga District criminal investigations officer, Isaac Mugera, said Nabukeera was wearing a hijab and sandals when apprehended.
“As the police’s normal practice, a female police officer searched the suspect thoroughly before taking ‘her’ to the cells.
However, to the shock of the officer, the suspect had stacked clothes in the bra to hoodwink that they were breasts.
“On further search, we discovered that the suspect had male genitals. We quickly informed ‘her’ husband who had escorted her to the police station,” Mugera said.
“As the police’s normal practice, a female police officer searched the suspect thoroughly before taking ‘her’ to the cells.
The news shocked Sheikh Mutumba who asked the police to let him prove for himself by allowing him to see the private parts of his ‘wife’.
On discovering that he was a fellow man, Mutumba made an alarm accusing Nabukeera of being a thief.
During interrogations, Nabukeera revealed that his real name is Richard Tumushabe and that he duped Mutumba so as to get his money.
He was charged with impersonation, theft and obtaining goods by false pretense.
Nabukeera’s alleged aunt was also arrested.
She admitted that Mutumba had paid dowry including two goats, two bags of sugar, a carton of salt and a Koran.
She claimed that she did not know her ‘niece’ was male as she got to know him when he was already an adult.
