Speaker of Parliament Rebecca Kadaga

The Speaker of Parliament, Rebecca Kadaga, has called upon Members of Parliament to consider re-table the pending bills related to protection of children and women.

The pending bills include the Sexual Offences bill and Marriage and Divorce bill.

Kadaga was addressing a dialogue on ending gender based violence and HIV/Aids organized by the Uganda Women Parliamentary Association at imperial Royale in Kampala.

She expressed concern over the high rates of sexual defilement in schools perpetuated by teachers which violates children’s rights.

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She also decried incest cases rise among fathers who are defiling their daughters.

Kadaga said that it’s high time to name and shame the sexual offenses culprits in public.

The Speaker also accused mothers of contributing to the defiling of the girl child by sending them to markets at late hours as well as walking them long distances which culminates into defilement.

The Chairperson of the Uganda Women Parliamentary Association Monica Amoding said that if the Sexual offence Bill is enacted into law, it will end sexual offences against girls and women.

The executive Director Uganda Network on Law and Ethics (UGANET), Helen Kiconco called upon   MPs to legislate on Laws that will help to defend the plight of women.

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The Marriage and Divorce bill seeks to prohibit widow inheritance, grants certain rights to cohabiting couples and equalizes prejudiced divorce provisions which granted absolute rights to men. It was designed in part, to improve women’s rights in marriages and to reform and consolidate the laws relating to marriage, separation and divorce.

Tabled as the Domestic Relations Bill, in 2003, the draft was rejected by the Muslim community opposed to the provisions banning polygamy. After being rejected by Parliament in 2006, the bill was split into a Muslim Personal Law Bill, which covers Muslim marriages, and the Marriage and Divorce Bill for the other religious denominations.

The drafts were however shelved following wide condemnation from a section of religious leaders and members of the public arguing that the proposals within were alien to the African culture.

Some of the controversial proposals include among others, those that pertain to bride price, a customary practice requiring payment of consideration by a groom to his wife’s family. The current Marriage and Divorce Bill states that bride price cannot be treated as a prerequisite for marriage, and makes criminal the act of demanding repayment of bride price.

RELATED: Parliament to re-table Marriage and Divorce Bill

ALSO READ: Women MPs vow to ensure passing of Marriage and Divorce Bill

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Uganda Law Reform Commission (ULRC) Chairperson,Vastina Rukimirana

The long awaited Marriage and Divorce Bill is still facing resistance from some MPs and a cross section of the public who say though it has been amended; it does not address all the concerns earlier raised against it.

However, the Uganda Law Commission (ULC) has asked Parliament Speaker, the Rt.Hon. Rebecca Kadaga, to order the Minister of Justice and Constitutional Affairs to table the bill before Parliament for the first reading.

According to Uganda Law Reform Commission (ULRC) Chairperson,Vastina Rukimirana, the title of the bill was  changed to the Marriage Bill and that the contentious cohabitation provision which previously stared arguments has been removed.

“We reviewed the bill along the recommendations from the numerous stakeholders. We agreed to remove all the controversial clauses,” she said.

MPs however, argue that they need to consult more with their voters to ensure that they are in agreement with the current amendments. Zombo District Woman MP,Grace Kwiyocwiny, who is also the State Minister for Northern Uganda says that she has no problem with the bill if the contentious issues are removed.

Buyaga West MP, Barnabas Tinkasimire, when contacted for a comment about the bill said that he will make a decision after consulting his constituents whereas his counterpart the Buyaga East MP, Eric Musana, said a lot of consultations will need to be done at the grass roots so that there is no pending issue like it was previously.

The Marriage and Divorce Bill is expected to be re-tabled in Parliament after proposed amendments were presented to Kadaga.

ULC had been had earlier been tasked by the Justice and Constitutional Affairs Minister, Kahinda Otafire, to review the Bill hence its renaming and scrapping of the controversial clauses.

Justice and Constitutional Affairs Minister Kahinda Otafiire

Dubbed the Marriage Bill, the Commission made it more inclusive of all marriage types in the country while at the same time deleting all clauses such as the one on co-habitation that had earlier sparked outrage among citizens

Kadaga noted that rights for those cohabiting had to be protected especially for children born out such relationships, and for couples who had been together for over 30 years.

“Co-habitation is a reality; it is high time we stopped burying our heads in the sand. We need to protect the interests of these in the bill,” Kadaga said.

The Marriage and Divorce Bill, which came into the spotlight in 2009 was seen to be a platform to right the wrongs that were seen to done to women in marriage.

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The Speaker Kadaga in her remarks commended the women for the right pass, and pledged that marriage and divorce bill will be given much attention in the 10th Parliament so that it’s passed into a law because it has been on the shelves for many years.

One of the clause in the Bill that requires a man and woman to share properties while separating, caused uproar especially among men who argued it was a ploy by women to grab their hard earned wealth.

Uwopa Strategic plan 2016/21 aims to increase women’s leadership and participation in decision making, economic empowerment and opportunities, improved women’s health and education among others.

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Busiro East MP, Medard Segona

19 Members of Parliament have so far returned 5 million shillings each advanced to them to carryout consultations with their constituents on the controversial Marriage and Divorce Bill. The money became suspicious because the parliamentary Commission advanced the money after government had already withdrawn the bill when the NRM party caucus agreed to suspend the bill due to a lot of  pressure from the community.

Majority of the MPs who have returned the money are from Buganda and over 95% are opposition MPs.

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Addressing journalist at the common wealth resort beach  Munyonyo, the Uganda women parliamentary association chairperson Betty Amongi said that women MPs have been advocating for the passing of marriage and divorce Bill since last parliament but with the availability of a woman speaker in the 9^th parliament, they will do all possibilities to make the Bill returns to parliament.

Amongi said that MPs were willing to -pass the bill in the last parliament but due to time they were unable.

She however says that this time it will be passed into law in order to provide for what she termed as fairer family relations in the country.

Ultimate Media

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The government through the Attorney failed to table the bill in parliament for the third reading on ground that government needs more time for consultations.

Atuki Turner

During a joint press conference between woman MPs and the civil society organizations held at parliament today, Ibanda district woman MP Margret Kiboijana said that the statement made by the attorney general in the chamber of parliament on Wednesday was a clear manifestation that there is no political will from government to have the bill passed.

She says that all the stake holders had been consulted and therefore the attorney general had his own intentions to say that the government wanted some time to consult again.

The woman mp for Oyam district Beatrice lagada said that the bill got wide consultations and should have been passed before the end of the 8^th Parliament on Wednesday.

She says that even if the bill got little consultation, it should have been considered since other bills like the land amendment bill and cultural and traditional bill did not get adequate consultations but the government worked hard to ensure they are passed.

She said that if government does not bring the bill in the house soon, women MPs will move a private members bill for the Marriage and Divorce bill to be passed.

The marriage and divorce bill which used to be called the Domestic Relations Bill has taken 48 years being considered and women activists are desperate to have it passed. The bill is aimed at providing for a fair family law and equitable relations within a family.

At the same press briefing, the Executive Director for MIFUMI women advocacy organization Turner Atuki attacked the speaker for being biased on women affairs.

She says that the speaker had earlier committed himself to ensure the bill is tabled and passed but later changed his position. She called upon MPs for the next parliament to consider having a woman speaker who will listen to women affairs.

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This is contained in the letter written to the speaker of parliament on 10^th May 2011 by UJCC and signed by the Executive secretary Rev. Fr. Sylvester Arinaitwe.

He said that the title of the bill is wrong and cannot give the due prominence to the institution of the family and the churches also objected to the clause in the bill which legalizes cohabitation.

The churches request to parliament over the bill worked some how because parliament in its last sitting did not handle it and the Attorney General Kiddu  Makubiya asked more time to consult over the bill.

The woman mps after the Attorney General told parliament that he is not ready with passing of the marriage and divorce they were heard saying no no no and the house handled company bill 2009.

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Stephen Langa

The leader of religious groups who presented their the memorandum to the parliamentary legal and affairs committee are particularly concerned that the bill caters Christian Hindus and customary marriages but does not provide marriages under the Islamic faith.

The Uganda law commission two years ago decided to split the Demotic Relations bill into two parts so as to provide for a separate marriage and divorce law for Muslims.

The executive director of the family life network Stephen Langa says making a separate law for Muslims amounts to creating national religion which contravenes the constitution of the republic of Uganda (1995) as amended.

By Mugisa Isaac Mathias

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The legal officer  with the Uganda law Reform commission Lillian Kiwanuka said that the bill intends to reform and consolidate the law relating to marriage , separation  and divorce to provide the type of reorganized  marriages in Uganda.

She made remarks during a media breakfast meeting on marriage and Divorce bill organized by Uganda women’s Network at grand imperial hotel in Kampala.

She said that the bill is not intended to break marriages as the detractors of the are alleging.

Kiwanuka clarified that the bill is not also intending to empower women to steal their spouse’s properties under the cohabitation clause.

She also said that the Uganda law Reform commission proposed divorce to happen in the official marriages after two years to enable married ones to be patient in their marriage.

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