The High Court has dismissed an application filed by Jalia Nagawa, the wife of city tycoon Drake Lubega, seeking a monthly maintenance fee of Shs186 million.
On Tuesday, High Court Judge Elizabeth Kabanda Kibula ruled against granting Nagawa the requested monthly allowance, citing the contested nature of their marriage.
The Judge emphasized that the primary focus should be on addressing the dissolution of the ‘marriage’ rather than awarding monthly maintenance fees. The court’s decision came amid an ongoing legal battle between the couple.
Nagawa initiated divorce proceedings in 2020 through her legal representatives, Lufunya Associated Advocates, at the Makindye-based High Court Family Division. In her divorce suit, she cited domestic discord and alleged cruelty on the part of Drake Lubega as the basis for ending their marriage. As part of her demands, she requested a substantial monthly allowance of Shs186 million, explaining that her financial situation was precarious, sometimes leaving her without adequate means for sustenance.
Nagawa’s legal team argued that she and Lubega began their relationship in 1984, culminating in a Kukyala ceremony in June of the same year. In August 1989, Lubega visited her parents in Banda for an introduction ceremony. She contended that they were together for approximately 20 years, during which time Lubega accumulated substantial wealth.
On this basis, Nagawa demanded a share of her husband’s assets, specifically requesting five properties out of the 30 properties she claimed Lubega owned.
She argued that her significant contributions to their acquisition warranted such a division. The properties listed in her claim included Banda Club Ecstasy, Mukono Commercial Bank building, Go Down Bugerere, Muyenga land, Nakivubo Mews, Atlanta Plot 5, Cooper Motors Kampala, SB Plaza Kiyembe, Qualicel Building, Total Business Park, and Majestic Plaza.
In response, Lubega contested the ownership of most of the listed properties and refuted the assertion that he and Nagawa were legally married. He argued that their relationship amounted to just an affair that lasted for about a year.