The High Court in Kampala has granted joint legal custody of three children to businessman Andrew Kananura and his estranged wife, Shiela Taratibu, following an emotionally charged divorce case that revealed deep familial fractures and disturbing allegations.
The decision, delivered by Hon. Justice John Eudes Keitirima, marks the culmination of a long-running legal dispute that drew public attention due to competing claims of child abuse, drug use, emotional cruelty, and fears over potential child abduction.
Despite the acrimony between the parents, the court found that both remained capable of exercising parental responsibility and that their children’s best interests would be served through shared custody.
The couple, married in 2014 at All Saints Cathedral, Nakasero, had already agreed to dissolve their marriage on the grounds of cruelty, a fact admitted by Kananura.
They had also reached a partial consent judgment regarding financial responsibility, with Kananura committing to pay for the children’s education, health, and general welfare. However, consensus on custody could not be reached, forcing the court to intervene.
Kananura, a self-declared businessman involved in importing cars and aircraft, testified that he had not seen his children in nine months.
He accused his former wife of taking the children out of school and hiding them at her sister’s residence in Munyonyo.
He denied allegations of domestic abuse and drug use, asserting that he merely responded to a distress call from one of his children at Acacia Mall while lawfully carrying a licensed firearm.
He requested access to the children four days each month and denied being a danger to them.
Taratibu painted a far darker picture. She accused Kananura of verbal and physical abuse, drug addiction, including injecting morphine, and running a household saturated with surveillance and intimidation.
She said the home was so emotionally unsafe that one of the children, Amara, once went without food after being allegedly kicked for resembling her.
Taratibu also objected to the children spending nights at Kananura’s residence, expressing fears he could take them abroad, particularly as he held their passports and had family in the UK. She agreed to financial support but demanded sole custody.
In his ruling, Justice Keitirima emphasized that parenting is a lifelong duty that must transcend personal bitterness.
He dismissed the more serious claims of abuse and endangerment, noting a lack of official complaints, corroboration, or credible evidence tying the petitioner to direct harm against the children. He also rejected the notion that custody should be awarded based on parental animosity alone.
Under the court’s directive, Ms. Taratibu will have care and control of the children during school terms, while Kananura will enjoy weekend visitation rights and shared holiday time.
Major decisions affecting the children must be jointly agreed upon, and neither party is allowed to take the children out of the country without the other’s written consent.
Justice Keitirima also addressed the legal residency of the children, who are U.S. citizens living in Uganda under their father’s dependency pass, affirming that his obligations remain enforceable and unchanged by the children’s location.
