KAMPALA, Uganda — Former Miss Uganda Stellah Nantumbwe has dismissed allegations that she emptied her former husband’s apartment after their marriage collapsed, saying she left the residence without taking any household property belonging to businessman Saidi Bukenya.
The dispute erupted after Senior Presidential Advisor and Head of the State House Investors Protection Unit, Col. Edith Nakalema, appeared in a widely circulated video alleging that Nantumbwe and her mother removed household items from Bukenya’s residence following the couple’s separation.
In the video, Nakalema appealed to the former beauty queen to return the property and reconcile with her former husband.
“Nantumbwe, please. God gave you a blessing, but the devil made you take the man’s belongings. This is the same man you chose and introduced to your parents. Instead, you and your mother came and took his property,” Nakalema said.
“I pray to God that you reconsider. You will not enjoy the man’s things while he is there crying. Repent and return the man’s belongings.”
The allegations quickly sparked debate on social media, with users divided over the circumstances surrounding the couple’s separation.
However, Nantumbwe has since pushed back against the claims, reportedly sharing video clips from the apartment showing furniture and other household items still in place.
The footage, which circulated online, reportedly showed a sofa set, bed, television accessories and other belongings remaining inside the residence, which supporters say contradicts claims that the apartment had been stripped bare.
Sources close to the former beauty queen maintain that she did not take any of Bukenya’s property when she left the relationship.
According to individuals familiar with the matter, the only major asset Nantumbwe reclaimed was a Lexus vehicle that allegedly belonged to her but had been regularly used by Bukenya during their marriage.
The sources further claim that the disagreement over the vehicle may have contributed to tensions following the breakup.
The couple’s relationship had attracted public attention after they held a traditional introduction ceremony in January 2025 before officially tying the knot in a civil wedding later that year.
However, by May 2026, reports of a separation had begun circulating.
Individuals close to the couple claim that one of the issues that strained the marriage was disagreement over living arrangements. According to the sources, Nantumbwe had expected the couple to move into a larger home after marriage but became frustrated when repeated promises to upgrade their accommodation were not fulfilled.
Neither Nantumbwe nor Bukenya has publicly provided a detailed account of the circumstances leading to their separation.
The public disagreement has since fueled intense discussion online, with some social media users criticizing the former beauty queen while others questioned whether women are subjected to harsher scrutiny than men during marital disputes and separations.
As the debate continues, neither party has indicated whether legal action will be pursued regarding the allegations, leaving much of the controversy confined to public commentary and social media exchanges.
For now, Nantumbwe maintains that reports suggesting she cleared out her former husband’s apartment are false and misleading, insisting that she left behind household property and only took belongings that were rightfully hers.