Thousands of marriages could be rendered unlawful by the governments decision to actively enforce sections of the law governing marriage in Uganda that require all couples who tie the matrimonial knot to have their union officially registered.
The legal requirement is going to be enforced for all customary, Muslim and civil marriages, including marriage in church, entered into over the last five years. Whoever does not comply will leave the government no option but to declare their matrimonial vows null and void, Registrar General Bemanya Twebaze said yesterday.
Mr Twebaze said the last five years are considered as being the most recent timeframe within which the law can be applied. For all new weddings, its incumbent on those who conduct themthe sheikhs, imams, priests and pastors among others -- to register them upon payment of Shs35,000, which must be remitted to the Uganda Registration Service Bureau (URSB).
Last week, the director for registration at the URSB, Ms Eva Mugerwa, had indicated that couples who got married much earlier, but whose marriages were not officially recorded, should still get themselves registered.
The legal requirement is going to be enforced for all customary, Muslim and civil marriages, including marriage in church, entered into over the last five years. Whoever does not comply will leave the government no option but to declare their matrimonial vows null and void, Registrar General Bemanya Twebaze said yesterday.
Mr Twebaze said the last five years are considered as being the most recent timeframe within which the law can be applied. For all new weddings, its incumbent on those who conduct themthe sheikhs, imams, priests and pastors among others -- to register them upon payment of Shs35,000, which must be remitted to the Uganda Registration Service Bureau (URSB).
Last week, the director for registration at the URSB, Ms Eva Mugerwa, had indicated that couples who got married much earlier, but whose marriages were not officially recorded, should still get themselves registered.
