Residents of Kagoma-Makota village in Kagoma Town Council, Jinja District, were recently drawn into an unusual domestic dispute that ended with local leaders mediating the separation of a woman and one of the two men she had been staying with in the same house.
The matter involved 46-year-old Judith Babirye, who had been in a relationship with Steven Orwenyi for nearly 10 months after believing that her former partner, Isaac Omoding, had died.
The situation changed unexpectedly on May 3, 2026, when Omoding resurfaced and returned to Babirye’s home, a one-room house in the village. Rather than conceal the matter, Babirye reportedly convened a meeting with both men and suggested that they live together peacefully under one roof.
Babirye explained that she had dated Omoding for about a year before information circulated that he had passed away, leading her to begin a new relationship with Orwenyi.
“When Omoding returned, I felt there was no reason to chase him away from the home. I informed Orwenyi about the situation and hoped the arrangement would work peacefully,” she said.
However, tensions later emerged within the household. Babirye accused Orwenyi of becoming hostile, claiming he insulted her and allegedly took some household property without permission. The disagreements eventually pushed her to seek intervention from local authorities and ask that Orwenyi leave the home.
Kagoma-Makota LC1 chairperson George Batema said village leaders were surprised to discover that the trio had been sharing a single residence. He explained that council members first looked into the matter before organising a community meeting aimed at finding a peaceful solution.
During the discussions, Orwenyi maintained that he deserved compensation for the support he had provided during the relationship. He said he had been earning about Shs150,000 monthly while working as a security guard at a weighbridge and regularly gave his earnings to Babirye. He also claimed to have constructed a pit latrine at her home.
Orwenyi further argued that after losing his job, Babirye had turned against him and was now using local leaders to force him out. He requested at least Shs130,000 to cater for transport back to Ngora District and compensation for his contributions.
Babirye told the meeting that she did not have the money, prompting local leaders and residents to organise a small fundraising effort. According to Batema, villagers contributed Shs32,500 towards Orwenyi’s transport expenses, while Babirye committed to paying the remaining Shs100,000 within two months.
Following the agreement, Orwenyi reportedly accepted the decision peacefully and wished Omoding well before he was escorted to the bus park by local leaders. Omoding later thanked him for avoiding conflict and pledged to support Babirye and her seven children.
Batema later cautioned residents against engaging in multiple relationships, warning that such arrangements can easily result in conflict, insecurity and domestic violence within communities.
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