Pass Marriage Bill, Zziwa urges Parliament

By Innocent Anguyo

The speaker of the East African Legislative Assembly, Margaret Zziwa, has urged Parliament to pass the Marriage and Divorce Bill, 2009, saying it is long overdue.

She was addressing journalists after presiding over the Ecumenical World Women’s Day celebrations at Rubaga Cathedral in Kampala.

Zziwa, who was chief guest, said many couples in Uganda do not know how to go about their relationships, adding that the Bill would help them understand their rights, roles and status.

“The Bill will usher in fairness, equality and means to achieve justice in relationships,” said Zziwa, adding that the Bill should be passed with or without amendments.

“We started debating and consulting on this Bill way back in the sixth Parliament. I think with the visionary leadership of Speaker of Parliament, Rebecca Kadaga, we should be able to pass it now,” Zziwa added.

She declined to comment on contentious clauses of the Bill such as refund of bride price, circumstances of divorce, refund of gifts in case of divorce and sharing of assets and liabilities after divorce, saying she had not read its current form.

However, it is unlikely that Parliament will pass the Bill in its current form since the aforementioned and rather antagonistic clauses have divided legislators.

Zziwa urged women to develop love for charity in a bid to help those in dire need.

The celebrations were organised by the Catholic Women’s Guild of Kampala Archdiocese and the Uganda Joint Christian Council.

The chairperson of the organising committee of the celebrations, Canon Joyce Nima, said the Ecumenical Women is a global movement that brings together women of different religions to pray over certain issues every first Friday of March.

The service for the day is written by a different country each year and the country becomes the focus of the world’s prayer. This year, the Island of Samoa is the main country of focus.