By Nathan Eyagu 

The marriage of NBS Television investigative journalist Canary Mugume and media personality Sasha Ferguson has exploded into public view, following months of speculation and a quiet separation earlier this year. The couple, who married in 2021, reportedly ended their relationship in January 2025.

Sasha Ferguson became the first to break the silence, confirming that she walked out of the marriage at the start of the year. She said the relationship had become unsafe and emotionally draining, hinting at violence and mistreatment. While she did not give a long account publicly, she noted that she had spent years “masking pain” and protecting her husband’s public image.

She said leaving was the “hardest but safest decision,” taken to secure her children’s well-being.

In response to the rising speculation and Sasha’s earlier revelations, Canary Mugume this week issued a lengthy statement on X one that has since dominated public conversation. In the post, he denied being an abuser and instead claimed he was the one who suffered violence in the marriage.

Below is Canary Mugume’s full X post, as released:

" There’s been an attempt to label me an abuser and an irresponsible father.

On being accused of being an abuser:

I normally choose silence, but there are narratives that must be corrected. So allow me say this; I am part of the unreported statistics of men who experience domestic violence from partners with uncontrolled anger issues. But because ‘we are men in a corporate world,’ we stay silent, show up every day. I restrained myself immensely despite all provocations and assaults. But society will, of course, believe the female gender.

I have evidence of myself bleeding after being assaulted. All my closest friends, family know this.

On being accused of being an irresponsible father:

Despite having only seen my children ONCE in the last ten months, I have never stopped sending money monthly, a figure that wasn’t decided by me, but by my accuser. There is evidence of this: messages saying ‘thank you’ and receipts of the transactions.

I have gone to court, fought, and been granted custody of my children, custody that authorities deliberately failed to enforce (that is a story for another day). Custody was granted on grounds of desertion: the mother had deserted them in a locked apartment with a maid while she was traveling overseas. Since January, I have been denied access to my children, despite numerous requests to see them and third parties intervening.

To men: speak up against violence from your wives when you still have the chance. I suffered in silence for too long. It didn’t help.

This is the last time I am addressing this issue, please give me space to heal.”

Shortly after Canary’s post circulated widely, lawyer Roger Mugabi, who says he represented Sasha in the custody case, publicly dismissed Canary’s statement. In a direct reply, he accused the journalist of lying about being granted custody, stating that the application was actually dismissed.

He further alleged that the court had seen “gruesome images” showing Sasha bloodied and battered. Mugabi warned that with her permission he is prepared to release the photographs, court orders, and filings to refute Canary’s narrative.

The situation has ignited intense debate online, with the public sharply divided. Some say Canary deserves a hearing, arguing that men can be victims of domestic violence too. Others insist Sasha’s earlier statements, along with her lawyer’s remarks, point to a deeper pattern of abuse.

From changing usernames on social media to cryptic posts about “new beginnings,” signs of trouble surfaced as early as mid-2024. But the full truth behind what went wrong remains murky, with both parties presenting directly opposing accounts.

What is clear is that the Mugume-Ferguson breakup is no longer a private matter. It has become one of the most emotionally charged public disputes of the year, one that may yet draw in the courts, legal bodies, and more evidence.

For now, two sides, two stories, and a deeply fractured family stand at the centre of a national conversation about truth, image, and the silent wounds inside relationships.