Politics 3 October 2026 Daily Monitor (Uganda)

Women MPs, Activists Urge Government to Champion Marriage Bill

Female legislators and women's rights advocates are pushing for the government to officially adopt and steer the long-pending Marriage and Divorce Bill through the current Parliament, hoping to overcome previous legislative hurdles. Source: https://www.monitor.co.ug/uganda/news/national/women-mps-activists-ask-govt-to-take-over-marriage-bill-5618768

Women Members of Parliament (MPs) and representatives from civil society organizations are making a renewed push for the Marriage and Divorce Bill, urging the government to champion the legislation. The bill, which aims to modernize and consolidate Uganda’s complex marriage laws, previously stalled as a Private Member’s Bill in the 11th Parliament.

Agnes Linda Auma, Chairperson of the Uganda Women Parliamentary Association (UWOPA), highlighted the government’s current stance against private member’s bills as a key reason for seeking executive ownership. “There is a new position that the government has come up with. You know the government doesn’t like private members’ bills,” Auma stated during a strategic meeting on the Domestic Violence Act. UWOPA intends to work closely with the Government Chief Whip and the ruling NRM caucus to ensure the bill garners sufficient support.

Activists emphasize that the current marriage legal framework is outdated, stemming from the colonial era and consisting of multiple disparate statutes. Rose Wakikona, Deputy Director of the Women’s Probono Initiative, noted that the bill has been pending for 64 years, facing numerous delays due to contentious issues and a lack of political will. Previous attempts to have the Ministry of Gender, Labour and Social Development sponsor the bill were met with hesitation, reportedly due to the sensitivity of the topic and its relationship with religious leaders.

The proposed legislation includes crucial provisions such as equal rights to matrimonial property for both spouses, recognizing non-monetary contributions, and a ten-year prison sentence for child marriages. “This bill has dragged on, yet it has very good provisions that take care of both women, girls, and male interests,” commented Rukungiri District Woman MP Mary Paula Turyahikayo Kebirungi, stressing the need for early sensitization of the 12th Parliament.

UWOPA plans to actively lobby male legislators, who form the majority in Parliament, to ensure broad support and prevent the bill from facing sabotage during debates. The goal is to move the bill forward as an executive matter, increasing its chances of passage and implementation.