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KAMPALA - Supreme Court judge Mike Chibita who also doubles as the President of the Bible Society of Uganda, has called upon young people not to fear getting married.

Chibita, who was speaking at the launch of the Kampala Marriage Conference on Tuesday, May 14, 2024, noted that some young people are fearing to get married because of finances, something that is not important before God.

“We hope that by reviewing the basis of marriage, we will be able to reduce or eliminate reasons for divorce. Young people should not fear getting married; you just need only five people to be wedded; the couple, two witnesses, and the priest. The rest of the things are just pressures and preference,” Chibita noted.

Chibita said the Bible Society of Uganda will host the marriage conference so that church leaders and those in positions of responsibility in churches and their spouses acquire skills and knowledge to share with the married and those who intend to get married.

“The theme of the conference is Equipped for Christian Marriage. It aims to enable participants to faithfully model Christian marriage in their lives and to empower Christian marriages to become the bedrock of Ugandan society,” Chibita noted.

The same message was echoed by the Very Rev Canon Dr Rebecca Nyegenye, the provost at All Saints Cathedral. She said that people should emulate the marriage ceremonies that were conducted during the COVID-19 lockdown.

“During the COVID-19 lockdown, only five people attended the wedding ceremony. People eliminated numbers and did not incur a lot of costs. Today, people are failing to get married because of social influence. They want their weddings to look like those of their wealthy friends. A wedding is not about people, it is about you and your spouse,” Rev Nyegenye said.

Rev Nyegenye emphasized that polygamous marriages are adulterous marriages.

“We want to remind people that marriage is a long life covenant. It has been reduced to a show-off or a contract that when one is tired, they abandon it. We want people intending to get married to know what they are getting into. To achieve that, such people need mentorship and counsel from people who have walked the journey of marriage,” Rev Nyegenye said.

To empower Christian marriages to become the bedrock of Ugandan society, The Bible Society of Uganda has organised a marriage conference on Friday, May 24, 2024, at Hotel Africana in Kampala.

The function will be opened by his Grace the most Reverend Paul Ssemogerere, the Archbishop of Kampala Diocese, and it will be closed by the Rt Rev. Dr Alfred Olwa, the Bishop of Lango Diocese. 

Chibita will talk about the basis of marriage, while Dr Evas Atwine, the CEO of the International Centre for Mental Health and Family Life, will address the practical issues of Good communication in marriage.

Addressing journalists, Peter Serumaga Lumbuye, General Secretary of the Bible Society of Uganda, noted that the Kampala marriage conference is one of the society’s activities that will enable people to practice biblical marriage principles.

Serumaga revealed that couples will pay sh100,000 and singles sh50,000. There will be breakfast and lunch.