HOW DO YOU PROVE THAT YOU HAD A TRADITIONAL MARRIAGE?.

Kato and Nambi decided to stay together around the time when Idi Amin had just overthrown Obote’s government. So, things were constantly moving from one place to another. At some point, they even went to Tanzania and came back. When their children grew up, they asked Nambi when the wedding was, and she would always tell them that their father visited her home and even brought a ‘thigh of a cow’ and the gomesi that her mother wanted. Two months ago, Kato passed away, and the bank wants proof from Nambi that she was his wife before they can give her access to the money he left behind.  

 

How can Nambi prove that she and Kato were married? 

 

WHAT DOES THE LAW SAY? 

What makes a traditional marriage legal depends on the culture of the people getting married. For example, in most cultures, you must go to the woman’s home and bring certain things the family has asked for. These things are commonly called bride price or dowry in some places. The couple is officially married once this is handed over to the woman’s family. In Uganda, this traditional marriage is sometimes called a ‘kwanjula’, ‘kuhingira’, ‘keny’, or ‘nyom tekwaro’, etc. 

Although the law does not demand that you register your traditional marriage, it may be wise to do so. This is because it is easier to prove something with a record or evidence, such as a certificate, than something without.  

The first place to register a traditional marriage is with the sub-county chief of the area where the marriage occurred. After this, you can go to URSB and register your marriage.

Source: BarefootLawyers