By Mike Rwothomio

The Alur Kingdom has issued a strong appeal to religious leaders and traditional chiefs across the region to halt the issuance of marriage certificates to couples under the age of 18, as part of a broader cultural and social services strategy to address the persistent challenges of child marriage, early marriage, and teenage pregnancies.

Prime Minister Opar noted that this multi-stakeholder approach seeks not only to enforce age-appropriate marriage practices but also to foster an enabling environment for girls’ holistic development, family stability, and sustainable community wellbeing.

The call was made by the Kingdom’s Prime Minister (Jadipu), Prince Lawrence Opar Angala, who represented the Alur Kingdom as Guest of Honour during St. Mary’s Day celebrations at St. Andrew’s Church of Uganda (CoU), Ukemu Parish, Warr Town Council, Zombo District, on Sunday, April 19, 2026.

Prince Opar Angala expressed deep concern over the high prevalence of early marriage and teenage pregnancies, describing them as a deep-seated social vice that undermines community wellbeing, girl-child education, and family stability.

He anchored the appeal on His Royal Majesty Ubimu Phillip Olarker Rauni III’s pronouncement on Kura Matira (morals and ethical values), urging faith-based and cultural institutions to align their practices with protective norms for adolescents.

“As in line with His Majesty Ubimu’s pronouncement on Kura Matira, we appeal to religious leaders and traditional chiefs not to issue marriage certificates to underage couples in order to curb early marriage,” Prince Opar told the congregation, which included members of the Mothers’ Union, women leaders, church elders, and community members.

The initiative forms part of ongoing social and behavioral change communication efforts, community mobilization, and multi-sectoral collaboration involving cultural institutions, religious denominations, and local government to promote adolescent sexual and reproductive health and rights (ASRHR), girl-child retention in education, and the prevention of gender-based violence.

The 1995 Constitution of Uganda in Article 31, prohibits child marriage for both girls and boys , with no exceptions. The Children Amendment Act, 2016 also explicitly defines and prohibits child marriage as any formal or informal union involving a person below 18 years for the purpose of living as husband and wife.

Alarming Statistics

The Kingdom's appeal comes against the backdrop of sobering data from Zombo District’s community development department. Between 2024 and 2025, the district recorded 3,896 cases of teenage pregnancies among girls below 18 years.

 These cases accounted for 26.7% of the 14,593 antenatal care visits recorded district-wide, a rate that exceeds Uganda’s national average of approximately 24–25% for adolescent girls aged 15–19 who have begun childbearing.

Zombo District Community Development Officer Mr. Samuel Ocaki, during an engagement with Alur Kingdom officials at the Zombo District Farmers Association offices, decried the situation and called for shared responsibility among all stakeholders, including cultural leaders, religious institutions, civil society organizations, and parents.

Believers receiving message from Alur Kingdom Prime Minister Prince Lawrence Opar Angala.

Ocaki highlighted parental negligence as one contributing factor and stressed the need for intensified sensitization, norms change, and protective interventions to reverse the trend.

To make the restriction on underage marriage certificates effective, Prime Minister Opar Angala urged leaders to conduct thorough verification of the ages and readiness of marriage candidates before issuing any documentation.

Addressing the Mothers’ Union, he underscored their critical role in strengthening marriages, family support systems, and faith nurturing, while emphasizing the importance of girls’ education.

“A girl’s future should not be regarded as a business transaction but as a journey of growth, learning, and endless opportunities to strengthen communities,” he said.

Prince Opar Angala pointed to moral decay among the youth, exacerbated by negative influences such as unregulated social media, as a key driver of early sexual debut and unintended pregnancies. He called on mothers, religious leaders, and cultural institutions to actively inculcate positive moral and ethical values centered on self-discipline, respect, and responsibility.

The Alur Kingdom, which maintains a strong working relationship with religious bodies, described the synergy between the Kingdom, the Church, and government as constructive and essential for social-economic transformation.

The Jadipu further reiterated His Majesty’s call to fight Violence Against Women and Girls (VAWG) and urged parents to guide their children toward hard work, creativity, and self-reliance

He emphasized the pivotal role of mothers as the first educators and role models in nurturing resilient families and communities, while calling for close collaboration to mobilize support for key government socio-economic programs aimed at improving household livelihoods.

In an earlier interview, Sunday Kayom, a representative from MEMPROW , a civil society organization focused on women’s rights and gender-based violence prevention, stressed the importance of retention strategies in formal education, challenging harmful gender norms, and scaling up comprehensive sexuality education .

According to Kayom , the measures are vital to empower adolescents and reduce their vulnerability to early marriage and unintended pregnancies.

Additional contextual factors in Uganda include high rates of period poverty, with approximately 23–25% of girls aged 12–18 dropping out of school upon reaching puberty due to lack of sanitary pads and menstrual hygiene management facilities, according to organizations such as Joy for Children Uganda.

According to Alur Kingdom, this intervention aligns with national and international efforts to end child, early, and forced marriage (CEFM) and reduce adolescent fertility, recognizing that cultural and religious gatekeepers play a strategic role in norm transformation and protective social services delivery at the community level.

The Prime Minister (Jadipu) of the Alur Kingdom, Prince Lawrence Opar Angala, poses for a group photo seated next to the Archdeacon of Ukuru Archdeaconry, Nebbi Diocese, Venerable Wilfred Kumakech (wearing a clerical collar), alongside elders of St. Andrew's Church of Uganda (CoU) after the function.

Mike Rwothomio is news editor at zoomer Africa, your number one grassroot information hub