Ikumba Parish Catholics Up In Arms, Demand Action As Their Head Laity [Dr. Narsis] Takes on Second Wife

By Mulengera Reporters

Ikumba Catholic Parish is one of the big ones of its kind under Kabale Diocese in Rubanda district, which explains why Christians responded with great apprehension to reports that Dr. Narsis Kabaterine, their head laity, had secretly held an introduction ceremony as a step towards taking on Betty Nabatte as his second wife.

In her mid-40s, Nabatte powerfully serves as a project manager at the Ministry of Agriculture under the Vector Control Program which is officed on Buganda Road behind Wandegeya Police. Kabaterine, a leading researcher under MAAIF, used to be the supervisor and boss of Nabatte at the time she used to serve as a lowly-educated mere technician in the program.

Today he is aged 76 years, and when he clocked the mandatory retirement age, the Ministry opted to retain him as a consultant on contract because of his profound skills and experience. Currently, he ironically works under Nabatte, a lady he mentored and who has since gone back to school and increased her qualifications to degree level and more.

Investigations conducted by concerned Christians back home in Rubanda indicate that the two have secretly been seeing each (even though Nabatte already had some other man with two children who are currently in high school already) for more than 10 years. They actually have children together and all this has been happening in total secrecy without even Kabaterine’s wife of more than 20 years, a Nalongo, being aware of it.

Though they had been together much earlier on, the Nalongo officially wedded with Dr. Kabetarine in 2009 at Christ the King Church in Kampala and had their reception at NFA headquarters in Bugolobi. They have three children together and have been living happily as husband and wife at their big home Mutungo Zone 8 Ring Road.

So, days before the secret introduction that was held at Betty Nabatte’s parents ‘home in Kawempe Lugoba on Saturday, Dr. Kabaterine left the Mutungo home under the cover of going for work upcountry and never informed people at home he had gone to prepare for his introduction ceremony which has since turned out to be controversial.

He is a respectable man in the community back home in Rubanda Kabale because for 8 years he chaired the Rubanda District Service Commission. He is also one of the most educated persons from that entire district.

The eminent scientist and researcher is also involved big time into the iron ore mining activities to the extent that he is the duly elected chairman for the association uniting all iron ore miners in Karugara/Muko.

The Christians under Ikumba Catholic Parish have commenced on the process to write and draft a petition to the diocese demanding total reprimand and severe sanctioning against Dr. Kabetarine whose controversial introduction on Saturday, they say, sets a bad example and risks misleading other lay Christians of lesser credentials into adopting repugnant conduct while taking his acts as an example.

It remains to be seen how authorities at both Kabale diocese and MAAIF are going to respond to this potentially scandalous development. Donors, who pour millions of dollars into the Nabatte-led Vector Control Program, it’s being feared might consider reviewing their relationship and collaboration with the project headed by such an indifferent young woman.

Dr. Kabaterine has other children from his very first wife who died years ago, prompting him to marry Nalongo, with whom he has since fathered three children as earlier referenced in this news story. Some of the children are adults living within Uganda and abroad and some of them are said to be unhappy with Betty Nabatte whose seductive conduct they fear might hurt their father’s hard-earned reputation as an eminent scientist, researcher and devout Catholic. (For comments on this story, get back to us on 0705579994 [WhatsApp line], 0779411734 & 041 4674611 or email us at mulengeranews@gmail.com).