Parliament intervened in the matter of marriage and National Identification Numbers (NIN) on Wednesday, following a directive by the Uganda Registration Services Bureau (URSB) requiring couples to produce their NIN before solemnizing their marriage.
Joseph Ssewungu, Member of Parliament for Kalungu West, raised concerns about the directive during plenary, questioning the need for a national ID when most Ugandans already possess a NIN, which remains legitimate even after the ID expires. “So we want the Minister to come here and explain what they intend to cure, because already, most of our national IDs are about to expire, but they have our NINs, which somehow make them legitimate. Why do you want me, Ssewungu, a Catholic who was baptized, to first have a national ID before you register my marriage?” he asked.
Ssewungu argued that this requirement contradicts the beliefs of various faiths, including the Catholic Church, which requires baptism and confirmation for marriage. “Yesterday, we saw the government directing that they aren’t going to legalize any marriage unless you have a National Identity Card, but our beliefs are different. For example, as a Catholic, I was baptized, I went for my confirmation. As we talk now, in our constituencies, people are going through customary marriage, and it doesn’t require anything like that,” he said.
In response to Ssewungu’s concerns, Hon. David Bahati, Minister of State for Industries, requested time to allow the Ministry of Justice and Constitutional Affairs to make a statement clarifying the new directive.
Speaker of Parliament, Anitah Among, concurred with Ssewungu, saying that since the matter is urgent, the justice ministry should come to parliament on Thursday to clarify the subject matter.
