Women MPs want separate law on cohabitation

By Henry Sekanjako and Joyce Namutebi

Women MPs under their umbrella body, the Uganda Women Parliamentary Association (UWOPA), have called for a separate law to recognise cohabitation as a form of marriage.

This follows a resolution by the body, to drop the cohabitation clause from the controversial Marriage and Divorce Bill 2009, saying it was not a form of marriage.

“We all agree that cohabitation exists and that it is real. But we should find a way of dealing with it in a subsequent law, we can use cohabitation laws from UK, Canada to deal with cohabitation,” said UWOPA chairperson Betty Amongi.

The MPs noted that most Ugandans were reluctant to legalise their marriages, saying that it would be unfair if such individuals are not catered for and only legislate for married couples.

“These all are Ugandan citizens they should be legislated for. I have realised that 60% of Ugandans are cohabiting. We cannot ignore them and make a law for the minority and leave the majority out,” said Kabale Woman MP Ronah Ritah Ninsiima.

The women MPs lead by Amongi were speaking to journalists at the parliamentary building, Kampala about the contentious clauses in the Bill. They include conjugal rights, dowry, cohabitation and property sharing among others.

The MPs explained that they had decided to withdraw the cohabitation clause from the Bill because it was not a form of marriage recognised in Uganda.

They also noted that cohabitation was not anywhere related to marriage thus its exclusion from the Bill.

“It is not the wish of women to cohabit, all women want to be wedded it is only men who are dodging,” said Amongi.

Cohabitation is defined as a relationship where a man and a woman are living together as husband and wife.

Commenting about repeated calls religious leaders to have the Bill revised, Amongi said the Church had been widely consulted and their concerns were addressed.

“The Church’s concern among others has always been divorce. But according to the Bill, divorce is the last resort, it is only permitted when you prove that the marriage has irretrievably broken down,” she explained.

The MPs also dismissed allegations that the Marriage and Divorce Bill was a women’s Bill aimed at acquiring men’s property upon divorce.

“We want to bring peace among couples and also bring a closure to a Bill that has been shelved since 1964,” said Nabilah Naggayi, the Woman MP for Kampala central.