In a startling revelation, the Uganda Registration Services Bureau (URSB) has disclosed that the prevalence of cohabiting couples in Uganda significantly surpasses the number of marriages legally registered in the country. This revelation surfaced during the URSB Marriage Conference convened at the Kampala Protea Hotel on Wednesday.
According to statistics provided by URSB, the registration of customary marriages witnessed a notable decline from 775 in the fiscal year 2019/20 to 575 in the fiscal year 2020/21, largely attributed to COVID-19 restrictions. Jeroline Akubu, Assistant Commissioner at the Uganda Law Reform Commission (ULRC), underscored the correlation between the low marriage registration rates and the prevalence of cohabitation, highlighting that cohabitation is not recognized as a form of marriage under Ugandan marriage laws.
"The number of Ugandan couples cohabiting is significantly higher than that of legally registered marriages in Uganda. This presents a substantial challenge in safeguarding couples' property rights during divorce or in the event of the demise of one of the married partners," Akubu remarked.
Dr. Patricia Atim P'Odong, Head of the Legal Aid Unit at the Public Interest Law Clinic (PILAC), School of Law, Makerere University, advocated for legislation to prohibit cohabitation, citing the existing marriage laws that address avoidable marriages, with cohabitation being one of them.
Addressing the issue from a religious perspective, Mr. Umar Nyanzi, President of the Muslim Centre for Justice, attributed the low turnout for marriage registrations not to the absence of laws but rather to inadequate sensitization of communities by relevant governmental and non-governmental entities. Nyanzi emphasized the importance of educating and sensitizing communities on the significance of legalizing their marriages, recounting instances where couples expended substantial sums to celebrate marriages in religious settings but neglected the comparatively modest fee required for legal registration by URSB.
Ambassador Francis Butagira, Chairman of the URSB Board, urged couples to adhere to a single marriage regime, cautioning against transitioning from customary to religious marriages. He stressed the injustice perpetrated upon spouses married under customary law when one opts to wed another spouse in a religious ceremony, particularly within Christian denominations, which recognize monogamous unions.
"You do a grave disservice to your other spouses married under customary law if you choose to marry your favored partner in a Christian Church, excluding the others," Ambassador Butagira asserted.
The revelations made at the URSB Marriage Conference have ignited discussions regarding the need for heightened awareness campaigns and legislative measures to address the prevalence of cohabitation and encourage the formalization of marriages in Uganda.
