Residents divided over marriage Bill
Fort Portal Municipality MP Alex Ruhunda (R) meets his constituents over the Marriage and Divorce Bill at the weekend. PHOTO BY BRIDGET KARUNGI
What you need to know:
Some residents are worried that the Marriage and Divorce Bill is going to create more problems in homes.
Residents of Fort Portal Municipality are worried of more trouble and chaos in families if the proposed Marriage and Divorce Bill were passed in its current state.
At a consultative meeting with the area MP, Mr Alex Ruhunda, at the weekend, they said the new Bill is of a disadvantage to the men since women would only be looking for wealth in marriage.
Parliament recently started the debate on the Bill that has drawn interest from the public. The lawmakers approved the first of the controversial clauses, which abolishes refunds for wedding gifts after the couple split and widow inheritance
Mr Kennedy Steven, a resident of Futubitangwa village said: “Women were more considered in this Bill and men were ignored which is going to lead to more problems”.
The men argued that marriages are going to be reduced to adulterous institutions because they would not wait for the women if they refuse to sleep with them.
Some men said instead of pleading with their wives who could report them to the police over rape, they would rather go in for prostitutes.
The women were very happy with the Bill and appealed to the MP to support it in Parliament . They said that for a long time, the men had stepped on their rights.
“Many women have been chased away by their husbands, leaving behind everything, even the ones they contributed,” a lady participant said.
Mr Ruhunda promised to table their views in Parliament.
Sheik appeals
Meanwhile, Kibuli Muslim faction leader Sheikh Zubair Kayongo has urged the lawmakers to handle the Marriage and Divorce Bill well, saying some clauses did not favour the Muslims.
He said it limited the Muslim men from many wives, something allowed in their faith.
He said this in Bukuya Sub-county in Mubende District where he was opening the Bukuya Town Masgid Ummah mosque on Saturday.
“Parliament has to be very careful on this bill because the Musalim community has its laws that guide them,” Sheikh Kayongo said.
Reported by: Bridget Karungi, Dorcus Murungi & Godfrey Mayengo
