50-year-old Busia woman banished for battering teenage husband

Busia, Uganda | THE INDEPENDENT | Angry residents of Mbaale village in Masaba sub-county in Busia district have banished a woman from her marital home for allegedly battering her teenage husband.

Violet Akuku aged 50 and 17-year-old James Mudir have been married for the last three years. However, Mudira, who rides Boda-boda have severally complained to his colleagues about the repeated abuse by his wife whenever he returns home from work.

On Thursday, residents ganged up and banished Akuku from her marital home to help Mudira to stay in peace.  Godfrey Ouma, the chairperson of motorcycle riders at Mbaale stage, says that they decided to intervene because of the endless abuse Mudira has endured for a long.

Ivan Taab, one of the residents and Boda boda rider blamed Mudira’s problems to cross-generational marriage, which the entire community had condemned. Taab says that after banishing Akuku, they immediately got Mudira a wife of his age.

Moses Wathieno, a resident appealed to the government to enact a law restraining grown-up women from falling in love with teens.

Odundo Majoni, the Mbaale village LC 1 Chairperson, says that they severally advised the teenager to leave Akuku in vain. Majoni says that he even advised the teen’s parents to report a police case to help their son get rid of the woman but he relocated to the nearby trading, an indicator that he loved his own wife.

Recounting his own story, Mudira noted that Akuku would deny him meals, cane him and hurl all sorts of insults at him whenever he would return home late.

Akuku, denied the accusations levelled against her saying they used to develop misunderstandings with Mudira once in a while. She appealed to residents to forgive her to return and take care of her lonely husband in vain.

ASP. Grace Achom, the officer in charge of the Family protection unit at Busia central police station said that such cases are not reported to the police. She explained only a few come out to report cases of abuse and mistreatment by their wife’s to the police.

She appealed to local leaders to help police identify the woman so that she can be charged for defilement.

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