Voters reject Marriage and Divorce Bill
Ms Grace Otim speaks during the consultative meeting on the Marriage and Divorce Bill in Dokolo Town on Monday. PHOTO BY BILL OKETCH.
What you need to know:
They say if passed into law, the Bill would lead to break up of marriages, violence, sexual promiscuity and shunning of marriage by men who do not want to share their property with their former wives when they divorce.
Countrywide
The Marriage and Divorce Bill has been roundly criticised countrywide, with people saying if passed in its current form, it would perpetuate, break up of marriages, sexual promiscuity, and violence. Residents of Bamunanika County in Luweero District said the Bill would cause the youth to shun marriage.
Speaking during a consultative meeting with their MP, Dr John Chrysostom Muyingo, at the weekend, the residents said some youth had vowed to shun marriage if the Bill is passed into law because they did not want to share their property with their former wives when they divorce.
Mr Matiya Katongole, a resident, said: “Our people are now engaged in debates on how to protect their hard-earned property in case there is a divorce. Our youth now claim that it will be useless to marry and create wealth with a woman who has ill intentions of breaking up the marriage and sharing the property.”
Women who attended the meeting expressed fear that the sharing of property after divorce would lead to violence by men.
In Dokolo District, women have threatened to strip naked in protest if the Bill is passed into law.
The women made the remarks during a consultative meeting organised by the Woman MP, Ms Cecilia Ogwal, and Dokolo constituency legislator Felix Okot Ogong on Monday.
Ms Mary Oluk, the LC5 councillor for Agwata Sub-county, said: “The bill has failed to address the most biting issues on how best marriages can be protected, but it is instead looking at how properties can be shared.”
Ms Oluk also said the Bill would lead to break up of marriages. Ms Grace Otim from Kwera Sub-county, said: “Whoever supports the Bill, will never be welcomed in entire Lango region.”
Dokolo youth chairperson Moses Olet said the Bill would perpetuate sexual promiscuity. The district chairperson, Mr John Baptist Okello Okello, said the Bill undermines customary marriages. “It may be true that there are areas that can be reformed, but the Bill is inciting failures in marriages. The Bill is inciting people not to have peace in their marriages and as such, we as leaders cannot support it,” he said.
In Mukono Municipality, residents said during a meeting with their MP, Ms Betty Nambooze, on Monday that if the Bill is passed into law, some women would resort to marrying and seeking divorce to get part of their husbands’ property.
The residents, who said the Bill is anti-social, said Parliament should instead concentrate on other issues such as the poor health services, dilapidated roads and failure by government to pay civil servants’ salaries.
In Mbale District, resident of Bungokho South constituency said during a consultative meeting with their MP, Mr Micheal Gafabusa Werikhe, over the weekend that bride price should not be eliminated. They also said bride price should be refunded in case of divorce. “The so-called Marriage and Divorce Bill 2009 is being fronted by activists who totally failed in their marriages. This Bill should be totally rejected for God’s sake,” Mr Jacob Opolot, the Mt Elgon region police commander, said. He said the Bill is copied from Western cultures which are not applicable in Uganda.
Mr Alex Napokoli, a councillor representing Bumasikye Sub-county, said: “Sharing of family assets would be right but this should depend entirely on contributions by both parties.” In Moyo District, residents of Obongi County said during a consultative meeting that the Bill was against cultural and religious norms that ensure stability of marriages.
