LDC Opposes Imposing Shs10m Fine For Cohabiting Couples

The Law Development Centre (LDC) has rejected the proposal to impose a fine of UGX10M or 3years jail sentence for cohabiting couples in Uganda, arguing that criminalizing cohabitation would be impractical to implement, as this would require the establishment of jails at village level, given that majority of Ugandans are living in these kind of relationships.

 Paul Mukiibi, Head, Department of Law Reporting, Research and Law Reform at LDC made the remarks in reaction to a proposal by Sarah Opendi (Tororo DWR) contained in the Marriage Bill, 2024, that is under scrutiny by the Joint Committee of Legal and Gender.

Inside the same Bill, all marriages in the country will be placed in a national register. The Bill comes moments after Government proposed that all couples must possess National IDs as a necessity before being declared eligible for marriage.

Sarah Opendi also has introduced a proposal within the 2024 Marriage Bill that requires newly married couples to consummate their marriage within six months. If they fail to do so, their marriage could be declared null and void.

 The bill outlines several conditions under which a marriage can be annulled, including impotence or willful refusal to consummate the marriage.

This proposal is part of a broader set of reforms aimed at modernizing Uganda's marriage laws, which also address issues like property rights, polygamy, and child marriages.