29-year-old businessman Sabiti Laban is crying fall after his father-in-law Geoffrey Kakona took away his wife and left him stranded with five young children all because he defaulted on his dowry payment.
Laban’s wife of 11 years Twikirize Prize was taken away by her distraught father Kakona on Wednesday August 25th leaving behind her children including a 13-month toddler.
The bone of contention between Laban and his father-in-law is the former’s failure to pay remaining Ush6 million/Ksh187,509) bride price.
Speaking to local press in Uganda, Laban said his father-in-law Kakona walked into his house unexpectedly and demanded to be paid dowry for his daughter failure to which he threatened to walk away with her.
“My father-in-law visited me without informing me, and demanded his remaining dowry immediately or else take her daughter. I requested his patience for three months, but he directed her to sit on a waiting boda boda. I had slaughtered a chicken for him but he rejected it,” Sabiti Laban lamented.
Kakona and his daughter Prize left together after Sabiti failed to meet his demands. Laban cried foul after his father-in-law left with his daughter leaving him behind with five young children to take care.
Laban ultimately decided to report his wife to police. A case of child desertion has been opened at Ruhija Police station under file number SD REF 05/18/08/2021.
Paying dowry is a practice that is particularly entrenched among some Ugandan ethnic groups. The negotiations over payment take place between male representatives of the two families – women are not allowed to take part.
Steven Tumwiine, a probation officer in Mbarara district, said bride price was outlawed by the Ugandan government.
“According to the laws of Uganda, dowry or bride price was abolished and any person aged 18 years and above has a right to marry a man or woman of her or his choice. So, the old man is infringing on the rights of his daughter. The old man is also infringing on the rights of his grandchildren by denying them a chance to have parents,” said Tumwiine.
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