A Ugandan Member of Parliament has introduced a bill that could nullify marriages if newlyweds do not consummate their union within six months. The Marriage Bill 2024, presented by Sarah Opendi, the MP for Tororo District Women, proposes that couples must engage in sexual relations within six months of marriage; otherwise, their marriage would be declared null and void.
The 61-page document outlines that a marriage may be considered voidable if the couple is unable to consummate it within six months. Opendi lists several other grounds for nullifying a marriage, including impotence of either spouse at the time of marriage, lack of consent from one of the parties, or failure to fulfill marital duties.
The bill states that "an aggrieved party may petition the court to declare their marriage void" if these conditions are not met. According to the proposed law, a marriage is voidable if one party: (a) is unable to consummate the marriage within six months; (b) willfully refuses to consummate the marriage within three months; or (c) conceals a significant fact that would invalidate the other party's consent.
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Opendi also suggests specific timelines for marriage registration and ceremonies. Couples would be required to give a 21-day notice before the marriage, and the ceremony must occur within three months after the notice, or the marriage would be declared invalid. The bill also allows couples to apply for an extension if needed, but if the marriage doesn't happen within the allowed period, a new notice would have to be issued before the union could be legally recognized.
