Kampala, Uganda — A once private marital fallout between Kampala University founder Prof Badru Dungu Kateregga and his wife Jolly Kateregga has erupted into a full-blown public scandal, threatening the stability of one of Uganda’s top private universities.
At the heart of the storm are shocking accusations of assault, betrayal, and a fierce tug-of-war over property and the university’s leadership.
What started as a domestic disagreement has now escalated into a saga that has drawn national attention.
During an April 15 press briefing at the university’s main campus, Prof Kateregga accused Jolly—who chairs the university’s Board of Trustees and once served as finance director—of physically assaulting him and plotting to take over his assets.
“This scar isn’t just from an argument—it’s from an ambush,” he declared, pointing to a visible mark. “She wants everything I’ve worked for.”
The two have been married since 2012. For years, they were seen as a power couple in education. But their relationship, Prof Kateregga claims, soured after he refused to change his will in her favor—excluding older children from a previous marriage.
“That was the breaking point,” he said. “She wanted to erase my legacy for her own gain.”
Jolly Kateregga, however, dismisses all allegations as “cruel lies” designed to tarnish her image and erase her from the institution she says she helped save from financial collapse.
“I’ve given everything—my time, my heart, my loyalty,” she told Daily Monitor. “To be accused of such betrayal is devastating.”
She insists the trouble began after the professor’s health deteriorated in late 2023. Jolly says she nursed him from Georgina Clinic to Aga Khan and finally IHK, where he had surgery. But after recovering, he never returned home.
“Even our children were made to believe I poisoned him,” she said. “But every test proved otherwise.”
Adding fuel to the fire, Prof Kateregga disputes her status as a co-founder of the university. He claims she only joined as a student in 2009, six years after the university’s founding in 2003.
“She wasn’t there when I built this institution,” he said. “She came much later—after I had already laid the foundation.”
He also accused her of locking him out of their Buziga residence, a property he says he acquired before their marriage. Though he added her to the land title, he now regrets the decision.
Jolly refutes this claim and says she was stunned when he publicly made the accusations during a graduation ceremony.
“He ambushed me with lies and has since locked me out of university affairs,” she said. “I feel betrayed and silenced.”
She further alleges that the professor has been spreading damaging stories about her across borders, including in Kenya.
“I’m the one who cleared a Shs6bn university debt,” she stated. “Yet I’m being painted as a villain.”
In a final blow, Prof Kateregga revealed that Jolly graduated from the same university without clearing her tuition fees—a debt he forgave out of love. But today, he says she is using that love against him.
“She wants my legacy, not our future. And I won’t let that happen,” he said.
With both sides refusing to back down, the clash threatens not only their personal relationship but also the leadership and reputation of Kampala University itself.
