Amber Kyambadde, the daughter of former Trade minister Amelia Kyambadde, has been granted a divorce by the court after she proved that her lawyer husband, Edgar Bagumire Bichetero, had been cruel towards her and had exploited her financially.
Edgar is the son of Veronica Eragu Bichetero, the former Woman MP for Kaberamaido.
In December 2016, at a ceremony graced by President Museveni, Amber and Edgar tied the knot at All Saints Cathedral in Nakasero.
Museveni implored the couple to “love each other, support each other, and respect each other” if their marriage was to last.
The couple later moved to London after Edgar relocated in 2021. Amber joined him in early 2022, together with their two children, and their third child was born there.
But soon after relocating, Amber says their relationship began to deteriorate.
In her petition, Amber told the court that the marriage had “irretrievably broken down” because Edgar was emotionally unavailable, physically violent towards both her and the children, and financially deceitful.
She accused him of cheating on her by having “secret nights away.” She also discovered a secret cache of condoms and pornographic materials in their bedroom.
In court, Edgar denied all the allegations. He insisted that he “has been faithful for the entirety of the marriage” and said he always respected Amber and provided for the family to the best of his ability.
He accused Amber of misusing her own savings and insisted that he made honest contributions to their household.
We can’t tell what was going through Justice Celia Nagawa’s mind, who heard the dramatic case, but in the end, she said the evidence on record showed that Edgar’s conduct had made the marriage “intolerable” and unsafe for both Amber and their children.
One of the key factors was the physical injury suffered by their eldest son at the hands of Egdar. Amber presented hospital records showing that the boy’s arm was injured so severely that he needed medical treatment after Edgar punished him.
“Edgar has not provided alternative explanations for the child’s injuries. The absence of any credible alternative explanation supports the inference that he was responsible,” Justice Nagawa ruled.
The court also found that Edgar exploited Amber financially, contradicting his claims that he was transparent about family finances.
Amber tabled bank statements, her NSSF withdrawal documents, and a sale agreement for a piece of land in Kigo to prove her claims.
She said the family used her NSSF savings, her monthly salary, and more than Shs 211 million from the sale of the Kigo land to survive in the UK because Edgar failed to provide as promised.
Justice Nagawa agreed.
“The depletion of Amber’s life savings and retirement security represents serious forms of financial abuse,” she ruled.
The judge also rejected Edgar’s argument that he had made significant sacrifices for the family, saying his conduct showed a pattern of emotional neglect that left Amber distressed and overwhelmed.
On the claim of adultery, Justice Nagawa noted that Amber had suspicions and circumstantial signs, but she did not provide strong enough evidence, such as witnesses, communication records, or hotel receipts.
Because of this, the judge did not base the divorce on adultery. However, she emphasised that under our law, proving one ground, such as cruelty, is enough, and Amber had done this. So she granted her application for divorce.
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Amber returned to Uganda in July 2023 with all three children and has been caring for them alone in Old Kampala while trying to rebuild her life.
She told the court that Edgar gives the family Shs 1 million per month as support, which is not sufficient. Edgar told the court that although he earns about Shs 13 million per month in the UK, most of it goes to meet rent and other costs. He told the court that after all the deductions, he remains with Shs 2.1 million.
Still, Justice Nagawa ruled that he must pay Shs 2 million per month in child support.
With the marriage dissolved, the judge turned to the future of the couple’s children. Amber asked for primary custody while Edgar sought shared custody.
Justice Nagawa ruled that because the children are very young, and because they have been living with their mother in a stable environment for more than a year, it would be in their best interests for Amber to keep primary custody. Edgar will have visitation rights whenever he returns from London.
Amber had requested Shs 300 million in alimony (total divorce settlement), but the judge declined to grant the award. She said she is well educated, has an MBA, and previously worked at Deloitte.
The court found that Amber has the capacity to earn an income once she settles, and that alimony should not become a permanent financial burden that traps people in conflict long after a marriage ends.
