Marriage Turns Hell!! As Kampala University Prof Kateregga Accuses Wife Of Domestic Violence & Planning To Steal His Empire

What began as a private marital dispute between Prof. Badru Dungu Kateregga, the founding Vice Chancellor of Kampala University, and his wife, Ms. Jolly Shibaiha Kateregga, has now spiraled into a highly publicized conflict.

Accusations of domestic violence, property disputes, and inheritance battles are now dominating headlines in one of Uganda’s most dramatic marital breakdowns.

Speaking to the media on Tuesday at Kampala University’s main campus, Prof. Kateregga made serious allegations, claiming he was physically assaulted by his wife during a confrontation in September 2023. Displaying a visible scar on his head, he alleged it was the result of the altercation—a violent episode he believes was fueled by an attempt to seize control over his assets.

“She wants me gone so she can have it all,” he stated. “This scar is proof—she hit me.”

The couple, married since 2012, is now engaged in a painful divorce filled with mutual accusations. Prof. Kateregga asserts that tensions escalated after he refused to amend his Will to exclude his older children in favor of Ms. Kateregga and her children.

“She wanted me to change everything—remove my other kids and give it all to her side. That’s when I knew things had taken a dangerous turn,” he claimed.

He also accused his wife of falsely claiming co-founder status at the university and betraying him after he transferred significant properties into her name—spanning Rwanda, Kenya, and Uganda.

“She now locks me out of the house I gave her access to out of love. I wanted to build a future with her. Now, she’s trying to erase my past,” he said bitterly.

In response, Ms. Kateregga has fiercely denied the claims, labeling them defamatory and heartbreaking. Once the university’s finance director and chair of its Board of Trustees, she insists her contributions to both the university and their marriage are being unfairly diminished.

“I stood by him through critical illness and helped save the university from a massive Shs6 billion debt,” she said. “To now be accused of trying to kill or cheat him is devastating.”

She categorically denied ever assaulting her husband or locking him out of their home, maintaining that the properties in question are legally co-owned. She also pushed back against Prof. Kateregga’s public allegations, including insinuations about the legitimacy of her children and accusations of financial misconduct.

“He’s dragging my name through the mud. This is not just about a marriage ending—it’s an attack on my identity and dignity,” she stated.

With both parties entrenched in opposing narratives, the once-celebrated couple now finds themselves in the midst of an acrimonious divorce filled with legal battles, emotional wounds, and reputational stakes.

Their once-promising partnership, built on shared academic and personal dreams, has fractured into one of Uganda’s most visible and contentious marital dissolutions—its resolution uncertain, its legacy already marred.