The Independent Uganda: You get the Truth we Pay the Price
Luwero, Uganda | THE INDEPENDENT | Sheikh Ramadhan Mulindwa Nsanja, the Kadhi Luwero Muslim district has summoned all Imams in his jurisdiction over uncertified marriages. The decision stems from findings showing that about 65 percent of the marriages conducted in his area are uncertified.
According to the guidelines from Uganda Muslim Supreme Council-UMSC, the couple is expected to obtain a marriage certificate issued by the presiding Imam, which is then authenticated by the Kadhi before it is presented to Uganda Registration Services Bureau-URSB for official registration.
However, Sheikh Twaha Lubega, the Deputy Kadhi of Luwero Muslim District in Charge of Islamic Law, says that despite the existing structures, they have realized that many clerics in the district are not following the stipulated guidelines. He explains that as a result, such clerics have presided over marriages alias ‘Kuwoowa’ without certification.
It is against this background that Sheikh Ramadhan Mulindwa, the Kadhi Luwero Muslim district has called a crisis meeting on October 2 at the district headquarters at Kasana to discuss the challenge. Speaking to URN in Luwero, Sheikh Mulindwa noted that the surging cases of marital disputes with many ending in divorce are tentatively rooted in non-certification.
He wants especially married women to always ask and keep a copy of their marriage certificates to avoid future complications. Sheikh Mulindwa insists that it is only an authentic document that can prove that the marriage is legal leave alone the numbers that attend the function.
He argues that these certificates make a woman part and parcel to the wealth of the husband and in case anything goes wrong, the woman is not thrown out of the house.
In April this year, URN reported that the Uganda Registration Service Bureau (URSB) entered a partnership with the Muslim Center for Justice and Law-MCJL to popularize the registration of marriages in the Muslim community.
In a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU), the parties promised to conduct research on why marriage registration is low among Muslims. The Director of Civil Registration at URSB, Vincent Katutsi said that although many marriages are conducted in the Muslim communities, only a few get registered.
He noted that there are only about 7,000 registered Muslim marriages accounting for 6 per cent of the total number of marriages registered, which is estimated at 116,700.
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