Tororo In Bride Price Referendum

TORORO district is due to hold a referendum on the sticky question of whether bride-price should be refundable once a marriage breaks up, reports Milton Olupot. The voting takes place on December 22 in Tororo Municipality and in Kirewa, Nagongera and Kisoko subcounties under the supervision of the chief administrative officer. Charles Osinde, the chief player in the “Mifumi” project, which is opposed to payment of bride-price, in a statement yesterday said the debate has been going on for a year and is now ready to be taken to the people through a democratic process. Voters will be asked whether dowry should become a gift that is never refunded. Until now, cattle paid for a bride must be refunded if the marriage collapses. Some women get trapped in the relationship for inability to refund the bride-price. Osinde said, “In the 1940s the Bukedi Bride Price by-law was passed providing for bride-price at five cows, five goats and sh20. It made it an offence to demand or receive in excess of this.” He said, “The commercialisation of bride price in Tororo is so rife. A woman cannot be buried unless payment of the bride price has been completed. This is a dehumanising practice.” The first referendum in Uganda was held in 1964 on the so-called lost counties and another in 1996 on political parties. The people voted for the Movement political system. Ends