In June 2016 as Ronald Sonko took his vows with Maureen Ahimbisibwe at All Saints Cathedral Nakasero outside the Church, another woman Damalie Kantinti who claimed to be the legal wife to Sonku was there to cause a scene. She wanted the wedding stopped because Sonku was legally marrying again. “I am legally married to Sonku Ronald but it is amazing to see that the Church has allowed him to get married with another person even when we had several consultations with the clergy here.” Said, Damalie Kantinti. Damalie carried along with her photos to prove that she had wed Sonku in a customary marriage. However, that union was not registered with the government. “It is today that I have learnt that you must register a customary marriage.” This was the same reason the church gave for having proceeded with the ceremony since the Introduction ceremony of Sonku and Kantinti was never legalized.

Article 18 of the Constitution mandates the government to register every birth, marriage and death in the country. The Uganda Registration Services Bureau a body in charge of the task issued a notice warning people who had wed from unlicensed places of worship. “If you are married in a place which does not have a license, you are not married under the law. You might be married according to God, and what God has put together that no man shall put a sander. But you are not living in heaven.” Said, Charles Nsimbi – Manager Civil Registration, URSB. Charles Nsimbi the Manager Civil Registration in URSB said many married people found out late that their matrimonial life had been quack when circumstances demanded, they cross-check it with the bureau. “We know that for sure there are people who have had challenges because when the husband dies, the family takes over the property and they chase away the wife. Why, because are you are a wife, can prove you are a wife. You can’t prove yet if you have a registered marriage you don’t even need to go to Administrator General, you go straight to the High Court and get letters of administration.” However, such marriages could be rectified. “If you did a customary marriage before you went to that church, you can go and register that customary marriage at the sub-county. Alternatively, you can go to a church now which has a license and do your wedding again.”

Since its inception in 1998, URSB only registered 234,000 marriages. Of these, 257 customary, 12,000 civil while 222,000 faith based marriages. “The first thing is make sure the place of worship has a license. This license comes in form of a gazette and so they should have a gazette which shows that they are licensed and it has the name and place of that church. Secondly, make sure that they make returns. We always write back officially and say the following couples have been dually registered with Uganda Registration Services Bureau.”

So far, the public reaction to the warning by the Uganda Registration Services Bureau is mixed. “Then when you have children it becomes much better for you to formalize that relationship.” “It is important for a couple to do due diligence on the church that is going to wed them.” “If it requires the government to know about or to register your marriage with them then you can because its government and they need to know you.” There was also a plan to amend the Registration Act to automatically register all marriages done from unlicensed centers of worship once these place apply to be gazetted.