How the late respected educationalist Prof Lawrence Mukiibi fathered dozens of children outside wedlock still generates debate in public forums.
Weeks after his death, questions remain on how many ‘wives’ he had for the devout Catholic he was, and how many children he sired. Dr Anas Kaliisa, a renowned Muslim scholar, has now weighed in on the matter, stating that if Uganda adopted the Islamic principles of marriage that allow men to marry four wives, questions on the legitimacy of Mukiibi’s children and concubines would not have generated as much debate.
While speaking at the fifth Iftar dinner organized by Parliament last Friday, Kaliisa pointed out that if the country embraced the Islamic marriage system, Mukiibi’s actions would not be condemned.
The late professor was Catholic, a faith that preaches one man, one wife.
“The Islamic marriage law is the best. If this man Mukiibi was a Muslim and he produced 80 children from four wives, all these children would be legitimate and honourable. But now they will not be honourable children; they will be bastards,” Kaliisa blatantly stated. “Now everybody is condemning him yet he is considered to be an excellent Christian and a role model.”
His remarks drew murmurs among guests at the dinner hosted annually by Speaker of Parliament Rebecca Kadaga. In her speech, Kadaga declined to comment on the matter.
Dr Kaliisa highlighted the 2014 national population and housing census that indicates there are more males than females, statistics that point to what he termed as “scarcity of men”.
The cleric said to cure this discrepancy, it is wise to adopt the Islamic marriage law to not only cater for the growing number of women, but also legally secure the legitimacy of wives and children in marriages by allowing polygamy.
“Women in this country [outnumber men]. What are you going to do with all the rest if you have one wife? You will have one official wife and then have a hidden concubine. Islam allows you four wives, which will cure all these problems,” he concluded.
The Marriage and Divorce Bill, which has been on the shelves for more than 40 years, seeks to reform and consolidate the laws relating to marriage, separation and divorce.
When the bill was tabled as the Domestic Relations Bill in 2003, the Muslim community vehemently rejected it due to a clause seeking to ban polygamy.
It was later split into the Muslim Personal Law Bill, which handles Muslim marriages. The dinner was mostly attended by Muslim MPs and their families.
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