Categories: CITY TALK

2 years of cohabiting to be a lawful marriage

Two years of cohabiting will be considered a lawful marriage if the Marriage and Divorce bill is passed

The Marriage and Divorce Bill is back in parliament for discussion and some sections are causing dust among MPs.

The Bill provides that after two years of cohabiting, the relationship will be considered a lawful marriage.

It also deals with widow inheritance and separation, but also outlaws demands for return of marriage gifts given as bride price during introduction.

The Marriage and Divorce Bill provides for the rights of sharing property after the termination of cohabitation, even when cohabitation is not a formal type of marriage recognized in Uganda.

However, the bill is not clear on the side of Muslims and does not cover marriages under the Islamic faith. Hon. Latif Ssebaggala has thus appealed to the government to first think of a law that will regulate marriages under the Islamic faith.

The Attorney General and Minister for Justice and Constitutional Affairs Hon. Freddie Ruhindi says the Law Reform Commission is finalizing consultations with members of the Muslim community who were opposed to some sections of the bill.

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Philimon Badagawa.

Philimon Badagawa is a multimedia journalist with skills in news gathering, packaging, editing and online publishing. He has knowledge in data visualization, can design and manage websites. He previously worked as a journalist with Observer media and authored several articles and stories. He does research, video & audio recording, editing and production for online publication. He Participated in The New Dawn photography campaign aimed at rebranding Northern Uganda-USAID/NUTI Project (2010). Philimon is in love with photography, writing, reading, sharing new ideas and interacting with reasonable people for skills development. He was recognized for excelling in Journalism during the Uganda Journalism Awards by ACME in 2015. (philebadagawa@gmail.com, +256 774 607 886)