Chris Rugari, Uganda’s Honorary Consul to Zimbabwe, has launched legal proceedings against businessman and Patriotic League of Uganda (PLU) National Vice Chairman Frank Gashumba over alleged hate speech, defamation, and interference with judicial processes.
In a formal notice issued by M.G. Byaruhanga & Partners Advocates on April 14, 2025, Rugari accuses Gashumba of making defamatory and damaging statements during a recent appearance on Radio 4. The comments were allegedly made in reference to the tragic death of Rugari’s son, Nganwa Rugari, which occurred earlier this month.
According to the legal notice, Gashumba publicly alleged that Rugari had abandoned his wife, Joline, for several years—during which she reportedly bore two children outside wedlock. Rugari categorically denies these claims, calling them false, malicious, and deeply injurious to his reputation as both an international businessman and a diplomat.
The notice also accuses Gashumba of deliberately manipulating public opinion to influence ongoing legal proceedings involving Joline, who is currently facing trial for the suspected murder of her child. Rugari demands a written public apology and compensation totaling Ugx 2 billion for reputational harm and emotional distress.
“The utterances have been widely disseminated to the public, thereby potentially influencing public perception of the ongoing judicial process,” the legal notice states. It further warns, “If these demands are not met within two days, civil and criminal proceedings will be instituted against Gashumba at his own peril and cost.”
Rugari has strongly denied allegations of marital misconduct, media manipulation, or influencing his wife’s legal challenges. He refutes claims that he abandoned Joline or forced her into medical procedures to remove her uterus so that she doesn’t produce other children. He branded such assertions as defamatory and unfounded.
However, legal analysts and criminal law observers suggest that Rugari is using the trial as leverage in a broader marital dispute. “Being in court against someone incarcerated over murder of her own child gives Chris an upper hand. If his divorce case succeeds, he could automatically gain custody of the children and control over their marital home,” explained Mukasa, a Kampala-based criminal lawyer.
This analysis is further supported by claims that Rugari allegedly remarried a woman named Brenda in the same marital home after sending Joline to Turkey in 2023.
Meanwhile, sources close to the police investigation, who requested anonymity, cast doubt on the murder charges against Joline. “Our investigations indicate the child fell from the door. A mother who has singlehandedly raised her child is unlikely to kill them. We haven’t encountered such cases in our experience,” a senior police source stated.
Critics argue that Rugari’s threat to sue Gashumba is a reaction to the businessman’s efforts to expose what they describe as a calculated scheme to silence Joline and manipulate public discourse. “The media has been fed a narrative portraying Joline as a child killer, while Gashumba is being targeted simply for presenting an alternative version of the story,” a source close to the matter claimed.
Whether Joline will receive a fair trial remains a subject of public concern, especially given the influence wielded by her estranged husband. Attempts to reach Gashumba for comment on the legal notice were unsuccessful, as his phone went unanswered.
