{{This Saturday a community court at Gitagara village in Masaka Sector tried a case involving a couple that had never stayed together despite having legally married in November 2013.}}
Until May 31, Mr.Modeste travelled all the way from Ruhango district to locate his wife that had stealthily left her parents home and got employed in Kigali without informing her lawful husband.
In November 2013, Mr. Modeste and Kubwimana Angelique agreed to legalise their marriage while living in Ruhango district and their union was legalised at Mbuye sector.
However, the couple also agreed that they would start living together as husband and wife only after conducting the traditional and religious wedding ceremonies. So they agreed to live apart to give time to the Girls parents to find money for the traditional wedding as Modeste would also look for money for the religious wedding ceremony.
The traditional and church wedding ceremonies were rescheduled to January 2014. As the Rwandan cultural tradition would have it, the lady stayed at her parents’ home as her legal husband worked and mobilised for funds.
Accordingly, the traditional marriage ceremony (give-away) is always handled by the Bride’s parents. But early this year when Mr.Modeste visited his wife to inform her that he was ready for the traditional and religious marriage ceremonies, his in-laws told him they hadn’t mobilised resources and thus postponed the marriage to May 31 2014.
In February, Mr Modeste visited the in-laws and when he inquired about his wife, he was told she had traveled to Kigali where she had attained a job. He was provided with contacts that would enable him reach his wife.
Mr. Modeste later found out that his wife was living and working as a maid in Gatagara village, Gatagara cell in Masaka sector a suburb of Kigali. He travelled all the way from Ruhango to locate her.
On reaching Masaka sector, he notified the area authorities who acknowledged that indeed the woman he was looking for was actually working as a maid.
Thus During the community work-Umuganda, the matter was brought before area residents to find a solution.
During the community court hearing, Modeste requested his wife to publicly agree or disagree that the two would return to Ruhango as a couple.
The woman neither denied nor admitted that she was still in love with or interested in going back to Ruhango with her lawful husband.
Mr. Modeste requested his wife to write a document publicly denouncing him as his husband so that he would start processing for a divorce.
Kubwimana however, wrote stating that, “As requested for by my Husband. I agree to his request that we are not married anymore”. However, the Community members rejected the document saying, she should state whether she is returning to Ruhango with her husband or she was no longer in love with Modeste and not interested in staying with him as husband”.
The members of the community court instructed the local area authorities to written a Report on the case and give a copy of the letter to Modeste which he would return with back to Ruhango.
The area authorities wrote stating that Kubwimana was not in love with her lawful husband anymore and was not interested in returning with him back to Ruhango to their legal home.
The document was signed by Kubwimana and Modeste including area authorities and community members present during the trial.
Mr. Hodari Niyitegeka the Gatagara village leader told IGIHE that Kubwimana’s employer (Mr. Sibomana jovite) has been instructed to take her back to her parents in Ruhango so that she can settle the matter with her husband and also avoid any inconveniences that might arise.
Mr Modeste is expected to return to the Cell offices at Masaka to have the document stamped and return to Ruhango district where he is expected to begin processing for divorce.
{{Masaka residents arrive for the monthly Community work. After Umuganda, the communtiy court convened and attempted to re-unite a couple from Ruhango that had not lived together.}}
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