Uganda: Pastors want cohabiting couples declared as married

 

Pentecostal pastors in Kampala have asked for a provision in the Marriage Bill, 2024 to consider cohabiting couples as married.

This, the pastors under the National Pastors Platform of Kampala said will prevent the growing tendency of men who take long to commit to relationships, even when children are involved and the resultant damage to women and children.

Led by their chairperson, Bishop David Kiganda, the group proposes that couples who stay together for at least five years should automatically be declared as married. “Cohabitation will weaken marriages, some people do not wish to marry and they have ruined many lives,” Kiganda said adding that “We suggest that staying with a person for a period of at least five years should automatically be qualified as marriage provided none of the party is committed in another legal marriage”.

The pastors submitted their views on the Marriage Bill, 2024 during a joint meeting of the Legal and Parliamentary Affairs Committee and the Committee on Gender, Labour and Social Development on Wednesday, 12 February 2025.  

The two committees are mandated to jointly process the Marriage Bill, 2024 moved by Tororo District Woman MP, Hon. Sarah Opendi and the Sexual Offences Bill, 2024 moved by Soroti District Woman MP, Hon, Anna Adeke.

The pastors asked MPs to make stringent requirements for dissolution of marriage, citing instances of connivance and collusion by some couples for selfish intentions.

They observed that the current law on marriage does not prescribe what constitutes irretrievable marriage and asked that clear grounds be spelled out in the new law.

On their quest for the new law to allow rural and small Pentecostal churches to conduct weddings, MPs said the proposal would compromise the legality of marriages. “If you want to kill the spirit of your sect, try to dilute it by giving authority to those church leaders at village and parish levels. You want to expand it but in the process you may fail to control those leaders,” said Hon. Charles Bakkabulindi (NRM, Workers’ Representative).

The national representative for Persons with Disabilities, Hon. Laura Kanushu questioned the legitimacy of upcountry churches which have no affiliation to the already established Pentecostal churches. “There are many of those churches which do not subscribe to their headquarters. Are you saying that those churches which do not meet the legal requirements to solemnize marriage should be allowed?” Kanushu asked.

Kanushu was concerned that Christian groups that have so far appeared before the committees, have varying views on principles guiding Christian marriage, saying it will be hard for the committee to defend their views while presenting the Bill to Parliament. “We had thought that Christians will be on the same page, but we do not know who is interpreting the Bible correctly. At least women activist groups have similar views; we need to defend the Bill but it will be hard if we have different views from you,” said Kanushu.

MPs were however, undecided on the pastors’ request to have their leaders qualified as registrars of marriage as it is provided for the Bahai and Buddhist marriages.  

Distributed by APO Group on behalf of Parliament of the Republic of Uganda.