Museveni emphasizes position on scientific weddings at cousin’s event

President Yoweri Museveni reiterated his preference for scientific weddings at his cousin Phiona Akoragye’s ceremony in Entebbe.

When he first announced restrictions to prevent the spread of Covid19 in March 2020, President Museveni urged Ugandans to reduce the number of people at marriage ceremonies.

The head-of-state banned big ceremonies and urged people to embrace leaner weddings.

“Uganda-style weddings bring together a pentagon of groups. This multidirectional source of the embaga/ mikolo attendants can be a source of great danger,” Museveni said then.

“If they are really in a hurry, they should go for the purely scientific weddings involving core stakeholders as long as the number is less than 10 people.”

On July 11, Museveni , previously said he and his wife Janet “used this scientific method and we have not regretted,” attended a wedding in Entebbe.  

Herbert Kihanda wedded Museveni’s cousin Phiona Akoragye at an event where only 14 guests attended since government banned weddings.

Akoragye’s father, the late Mzee Eriya Riisi, was a brother to Museveni’s father, the late Mzee Amos Kaguta while Kihanda is a son to the late Cosmas Mbagaya and Edida Katendwa Kasharu.

Anglican Church archbishop Steven Kazimba Mugalu presided over the scientific wedding.

Museveni used the event to encourage Ugandans to embrace scientific weddings instead of the big ones where hundreds attend from both the side of the bride and the groom.

He insisted the pomp associated with most marriage ceremonies was not necessary.

He urged people to instead ensure that the marriages meet the requirements and are in line with their respective religious beliefs.

“Like I have said previously, what is important about a marriage ceremony are the legal and spiritual elements, not the social fanfare,” he told guests.