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Statistics from the Uganda Registration Services Bureau (URSB) reveal that the number of people choosing civil marriage over religious marriage has increased in the last five years.

In an interview with New Vision, Ben Charles Nsimbi, the Manager of Civil Registration, said that civil marriage has become the easier option for Ugandans who prefer simpler, quicker weddings, and those who lack the financial muscle to organise extravagant ceremonies.

At URSB offices in Kololo, you walk in single, and few moments later, you walk out with your partner as newly-weds, complete with a marriage certificate.

“The lengthy process of religious marriages that involves paying ridiculous church fees, proof of baptism cards, compulsory HIV tests, privacy and unlawful consent requirements is making civil marriage popular,” Nsimbi said.

According to URSB records, in 2020 to 2021, they were over 1824 who had a civil marriage in Kampala, in other districts like Mbarara Hoima, Mukono, they were 96 couples in the year 2020 to 2021.

In 2022 to 2023, they were over 2262 civil weddings in Kampala district and 260 weddings in others districts.

“More Ugandans who have embraced civil marriage are young Muslims who have Christian spouses, and families are not willing to go to the Church or Mosque so the registrar general’s office becomes a neutral place and others prefer because it is monogamous, once you do civil, you become the official wife,” Nsimbi said.

According to Nsimbi, most couples who decide to go civil, urge that the moment they sign the certificates, it becomes effective immediately unless in church settings where pastors and reverends take weeks and months to submit the certificate to government.

To have a religious wedding, you need to part with sh500,000 to 600,000 yet with civil, all you need is sh320,000.

“A civil wedding is the most legal. All marriages are legal but they are conducted on behalf of the State.

“We are travelling next month to USA instead of fighting with churches to file our marriage, we would rather go home knowing that the state knows our marriage,” Suzan Kalyango, who was found at the reception of URSB waiting to be wedded.

Kalyango also noted a civil marriage is cheaper compared to a church wedding where you have to pay the choir, order of service booklet, fines for not keeping time and pay offertory.

Why the rise?

When Linus Wandera, a journalist, married in 2015, he opted for a civil wedding at the Registrar of Marriages “because it was convenient, cheaper and less stressful”.

“Weddings done through the church have become unbearable, I have friends who have wedded in Churches and after the ceremony, they start choking on debts. I wanted to avoid that. Less drama with government,” Wandera said.

In a scenario where one party is not willing to convert into the other’s religion, say from Muslim to a Catholic or a non-believer, a civil union comes in handy.

“People who have been married before and divorced and those who have lost loved ones are more comfortable in civil marriages because most churches are not willing to wed divorcees,” Ssanyu Kitone, a family lawyer said.

Civil marriage is more common with people across the border and those coming from the diaspora.