Govt to nurture men, women to embrace marriage

The Inter-Religious Council of Uganda (IRCU) in partnership with the government has launched a drive to nurture young men and women to embrace marriage.
The initiative comes after the rise in divorce cases and increased cases of disunited families in Uganda.

Themed, ‘celebrating faith, family, freedom: one family under God for African Renaissance’, the first edition of the festival is scheduled to take place on June 29, at Kololo Independence grounds in Kampala, where President Museveni will be the guest of honour.
Addressing journalists yesterday, Bishop Andrew Lugoloobi, the secretary of the Born-Again Faith in Uganda, who is also the executive board member of IRCU, said the best way to control domestic violence is to prepare girls and boys for marriage.

“If we do not nurture our children and don’t prepare the young men and women before they mature... they will at one time reach a point where they will want to marry. So when they are not prepared, you will definitely expect battles within the family,” Bishop Lugoloobi said.

Bishop Lugoloobi expressed concern that the current marriage law has diminished the authority of the Church. He said when couples face marital issues, they are directed to legal courts rather than seeking guidance from the church, contributing to the high rate of divorces.

He identified several factors contributing to domestic violence in homes, including peer pressure, misinformation regarding concepts such as empowerment (which, when misunderstood, may lead to violence), disparities in education levels (where a more educated woman may overlook her partner, potentially leading to conflict), and unemployment, which can disempower individuals, particularly men. 

Metropolitan Jeronymos Muzeeyi, the archbishop of the Uganda Orthodox Church, said the festival is meant to tackle to strengthen the traditional African family system which according to him “has been weakened by the influence of globalisation.”

“As your leaders, we believe that there is a lot at stake if we fail to stand up to protect and defend the family, freedom, and our religious and cultural values.  While we have continued to witness the true cost of our cultural and religious decline, we have a duty to defend all that we hold to be right and true,” Archbishop Muzeeyi said.

He added: “Therefore, the Inter-religious family festival, 2024 will highlight the importance of family values and interfaith cooperation in advancing freedom and the vision of a 21st century African renaissance. It will also foster respect and appreciation for and development, promote sustainable peace, and strengthen the family structure as a catalyst for African renaissance.”

Value of family
The Minister of Public Service, Mr Wilson Muruli Mukasa, said government has agreed to celebrate the family day together with the Inter-Religious family festival this year.

“The family is the foundation of the nation and the continuity of the human race. During the festival, we shall tackle challenges affecting families and these range from loss of faith, erosion of culture, poverty, disease, and conflict so as to strengthen the structure of family and this will be an annual event,” Mr Mukasa said.