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Opendi proposed a three-year jail term or a fine of Shs10 million for individuals who demand the return of gifts given to their spouses during the course of their marriage
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PARLIAMENT - Tororo District Woman Representative, Sarah Opendi, has tabled the Marriage Bill 2024 in Parliament, proposing significant reforms aimed at addressing various issues within marriages. The bill includes provisions for penalties for demanding the return of gifts, dealing with debts incurred before marriage, equal access to property among spouses, and criminalizing child marriages.
Opendi proposed a three-year jail term or a fine of Shs10 million for individuals who demand the return of gifts given to their spouses during the course of their marriage. She emphasized that all gifts exchanged during the marriage should legally belong to the recipient, and courts should be able to award damages to aggrieved parties.
“Gifts exchanged during marriage should remain with the recipient, and any demand for their return should be met with serious consequences," Opendi said, adding that the move is aimed at protecting the dignity of marriage.
This provision, however, has sparked public debate. Some critics argue that Parliament should focus on more pressing issues, such as education and healthcare in Tororo, instead of marriage-related matters.
Others, like X user Ben-Etesot, suggested Opendi may be facing personal challenges, tweeting, "Apparently it seems Minister Opendi is going through a rough patch in her marriage for five years now; all her bills are surrounding marriage matters...mental health is real.”
Debts and liabilities
Further proposals in the bill include a clause addressing debts and liabilities incurred before marriage. Opendi suggested that debts related to property should remain the responsibility of the spouse who incurred them, unless the property becomes matrimonial property, in which case both spouses would share the liability.
Another key provision is the proposal for equal access to property for both spouses, which would grant both the right to use, benefit from, and dispose of property, unless otherwise agreed upon by the couple.
Child marriage
In a move to combat child marriages, Opendi proposed a 10-year jail sentence for anyone who participates in or conducts a marriage ceremony involving a minor. The bill states that anyone who marries a child, witnesses such a marriage, or attends any marital ceremony involving a child, will face severe legal consequences.
“Anyone who conducts, presides over, or witnesses a marriage involving a child, or knowingly participates in its preparation, commits an offence and will face a prison sentence of up to 10 years,” Opendi noted in Parliament.
The Marriage Bill 2024 is expected to stir further debate as Parliament and the public weigh in on the proposed reforms.
Torch Media Africa
