The marriage between Speaker Anita Among and Budiope MP Hassim Magogo is still valid -the Uganda Registration Services Bureau (URSB) has clarified.
The clarification follows a letter dated August, 16, 2022 by the Town Clerk of Makindye Division Urban Council, Geoffrey Rwakabale and addressed to the registrar of marriages at URSB indicating that he had invalidated Among’s marriage with Magogo.
The letter which went viral on social media implied that the registrar “had discovered glaring ommissions and errors occasioned to him by consequences of duress while processing the matter.”
Among and Magogo tied the knot under customary marriage a few months ago in an event that was only attended by relatives and close friends. Photos of their ceremony made rounds on social media.
Now, in a statement issued on Thursday by the registrar of marriages, URSB clarifies that the Town Clerk has no power to cancel the marriage.
Below is the full statement issued on Thursday.
Reference is made to a letter by the Town Clerk of Makindye Division Urban Council, Mr. Rwakabale Geoffrey, Ref: MKD/KCCA/1308/06 and dated 16th August, 2022 circulating on social media regarding the rescinding of a customary marriage registration between Magogo Moses Hassim and Among Anita Annet. Kindly be advised as follows;
The role of the Town Clerk in customary marriage registration is to register and transmit a return to the Registrar of Marriages at Uganda Registration Services Bureau. Neither, the Town clerk nor Registrar of Marriages have the authority to invalidate a marriage. Therefore, the letter from the Town Clerk cannot invalidate the marriage between Magogo Moses Hassim and Among Anita Annet. The public is put on notice to ignore the misleading circulating stories about the validity of the said marriage.
Upon completion of the registration at the Sub County Chief or Town Clerk’s office, the Marriage return is filed with Uganda Registration Services Bureau (Registrar of Marriages) to be entered on the National Marriage Register maintained by URSB.
A customary marriage is one of the five types of legal marriages in Uganda. A customary marriage is celebrated according to the rites of an African Community and one of the parties to the marriage must be a member of that community.
Non-registration of a marriage does not invalidate a marriage. However, registration of a marriage gives evidential value pertaining to that marriage.