Pentecostal pastors in Kampala have urged Parliament to amend the Marriage Bill, 2024, to recognize cohabiting couples as legally married.
The pastors, under the National Pastors Platform of Kampala, argue that formalizing long-term cohabitation will protect women and children from abandonment. They propose that couples who have lived together for at least five years should automatically be considered married unless one partner is already in a legal marriage.
“Cohabitation will weaken marriages. Some people do not wish to marry, and they have ruined many lives,” said Bishop David Kiganda, the group’s chairperson. “We suggest that staying with a person for at least five years should automatically qualify as marriage, provided none of the parties is committed in another legal marriage.”
The pastors presented their views on February 12, 2025, during a joint session of the Legal and Parliamentary Affairs Committee and the Gender, Labour, and Social Development Committee. The committees are reviewing the Marriage Bill, 2024, moved by Tororo District Woman MP Sarah Opendi, and the Sexual Offences Bill, 2024, tabled by Soroti District Woman MP Anna Adeke.
Call for Stricter Divorce Laws
The pastors also called for tougher requirements for dissolving marriages. They cited cases where couples conspire to obtain divorce for personal gain and urged lawmakers to clearly define what constitutes an irretrievable marriage.
Debate on Wedding Rights for Small Churches
The pastors requested that rural and small Pentecostal churches be allowed to conduct weddings. However, MPs expressed concerns that this could compromise the legality of marriages.
“If you want to kill the spirit of your sect, try to dilute it by giving authority to church leaders at village and parish levels. You want to expand it, but in the process, you may fail to control those leaders,” said Workers’ Representative Charles Bakkabulindi.
Laura Kanushu, the national representative for Persons with Disabilities, questioned the legitimacy of small Pentecostal churches that operate without affiliation to established headquarters.
“There are many of those churches which do not subscribe to their headquarters. Are you saying that those which do not meet legal requirements to solemnize marriage should be allowed?” Kanushu asked.
She also noted that Christian groups presenting views on the Marriage Bill have conflicting positions, making it difficult for the committee to defend their proposals before Parliament.
“We had thought Christians would be on the same page, but we do not know who is interpreting the Bible correctly. At least women’s activist groups have similar views; we need to defend the Bill, but it will be hard if we have different views from you,” she said.
MPs remained undecided on whether to grant pastors the authority to register marriages, a privilege currently extended to Bahai and Buddhist religious leaders.
