An unusual domestic dispute has left authorities and residents of Kagoma-Makota town in Jinja district both bemused and bewildered.
Local leaders were stunned to discover that two men, Steven Orwenyi and Isaac Omoding, who were both romantically involved with 46-year-old Judith Babirye, had been living together under the same one-bedroom house.
The unusual arrangement reportedly emerged after Babirye began cohabiting with Orwenyi about 10 months ago under the belief that her former lover, Omoding, had died.
However, matters took a dramatic turn on May 3, 2026, when Omoding unexpectedly returned to the village and immediately moved back into Babirye’s one-bedroom home. According to Babirye, she chose to confront the situation openly rather than hide from it.
She convened a meeting with both men and proposed that they coexist peacefully. Babirye explained that she had been in a relationship with Omoding for about a year before reports emerged claiming he had died, prompting her to begin a new relationship with Orwenyi.
“When Omoding returned to the village after a long time, there was no way I could deny him access to the house. This is how I resolved to live with both men, and I briefed Orwenyi about the new arrangement,” Babirye said.
However, the arrangement soon became strained. Babirye said Orwenyi became increasingly uncomfortable sharing the home with another man, and tensions escalated after she accused him of stealing household items and openly insulting her.
Feeling unable to continue with the arrangement, Babirye reported the matter to local leaders and requested that Orwenyi vacates her home.
The LC I chairperson of Kagoma-Makota village, George Batema, said he was shocked when he first learned that Babirye was living with two men in the same house. He explained that village council members were called in to investigate the matter before a community meeting was organised to resolve the dispute peacefully.
During the meeting, Orwenyi argued that he deserved compensation before leaving because of the financial and emotional support he had provided to Babirye during their relationship.
“I was working as a security guard at the weighbridge and earning Shs 150,000 monthly, which I used to hand over to her without hesitation. I also constructed a pit latrine for her and offered companionship, which I expected Babirye to value,” Orwenyi said.
He further accused Babirye of using local leaders to force him out after he lost his source of income.
“Out of respect for me, Babirye should give me at least Shs 130,000 to cater for compensation and transport back to Ngora district,” he added.
Babirye, however, told the meeting that she did not have the money being demanded, prompting village leaders to organise a small fundraising drive.
According to Batema, residents contributed Shs 32,500 to facilitate Orwenyi’s transport, while Babirye agreed to clear the remaining balance of Shs 100,000 within two months.
Following the agreement, Orwenyi reportedly congratulated Omoding for remaining with Babirye before village leaders escorted him to the bus park.
Omoding, on his part, praised Orwenyi for choosing peace and promised to take care of Babirye and her seven children.
Following the incident, Batema warned residents against engaging in multiple relationships, saying such arrangements can easily trigger domestic violence, conflict, and insecurity within communities.
Black News 
