By Kenneth Wamatoyi
BUYENDE
Police in Buyende have arrested a 23 year old man and a Local council chairman for allegedly sponsoring an under-age traditional marriage involving a 17 year old girl.
The suspects have been identified as Mugeere Wycliff, resident of Namalogwe, Nkoone Parish Irundu Sub-county, Buyende district who married the girl.
The second suspect is Mutaka Moses, father to the victim and LC I Chairman of Bukyaala Village, Nkoone Parish, Irundu Sub-county, Buyende district.
The arrest follows a viral social media clip involving the victim and the suspects in a traditional marriage ceremony.
ASP Kasadha Michael, Regional spokesperson Busoga North says initial findings indicate that on the 2/03/2025, Mutaka hosted the traditional marriage ceremony between Mugeere and his underage daughter at his home. The two have since stayed together as husband and wife.
Further inquiries are ongoing to establish more suspects. It can be remembered that in 2019, Buyende district passed an ordinance aimed at ending child marriage and teenage pregnancies in the district calling for punitive action against defilers and irresponsible parents.
Marriage before the age of 18years is a fundamental violation of human rights, many factors of early marriage include placing a child at risk for example pregnancy, exposure to sexual transmitted infections and many more.
The Constitution of Uganda states that the legal age of marriage is 18years for a girl child and 21years for a boy child and whoever contracts child marriage shall be held liable and punished by the law by paying fines or imprisonment
A child shall not be involved in any sexual activities in nature whether paid for or not and any person who contravenes with this section shall commit an offence and is liable on conviction to a fine not exceeding one hundred currency points or to serve a term of imprisonment not exceeding five years as provided for under Section 8A (I) of the Children’s (Amended) Act of Uganda.
Section 42A(I) of the Children’s (Amended) Act of Uganda Provides for protection of children from any type of violence which includes Child marriage, child trafficking, female genital mutilation, child labor, defilement and other forms of physical or emotional abuse, a child must not face any of the above mentioned violations.
