Sarah Opendi, the Woman MP representing Tororo District, has presented the Contentious Marriage Bill 2024 to Parliament’s joint committee Legal Affairs and Gender . The bill aims to provide a comprehensive legislation on matters relating to marriage, repealing some provisions of the current Marriage Act
Opendi urged MPs on the Legal Affairs Committee and the Gender Committee to pay close attention to the bill, especially the clause that makes it compulsory for couples to obtain parental consent.
However, NGOs strongly opposed this section, arguing that individuals who enter marriage are of a certain age and do not deserve parental permission.
The bill also seeks to allow men married under civil marriages to marry more than one wife. Opendi explained that there are new religions that support polygamy, which are not currently recognized under any marriage law.
Some MPs have expressed concerns that the bill’s provisions may encourage people to abandon church marriages in favor of civil marriages, which permit polygamy
Additionally, Opendi proposed increasing the grounds for divorce, including no-fault divorce, and introducing measures to protect Ugandans in foreign marriages.
MP Jonathan Odur suggested criminalizing interference in marriages
