Two children aged nine and six were married in one of the most bizarre cultural events in modern history.
Residents of Nakapyata Village, Buyende Town Council in Buyende District in eastern Uganda presided over the function on Monday.
According to reports, the boy, a Primary Four pupil at Buyende Light Primary School and the girl, who were both reportedly born with ‘two teeth’, have been given a ‘matrimonial hut’ to live in as a couple.
Under the laws of Uganda, it is illegal for persons under the age of 18 to get married or get involved in sexual intercourse.
It is alleged the two children started ‘dating’ when the boy was three years old and the girl was just three months of age.
The development would later galvanise the bond between both families, with the boy’s father repeatedly referring to the girl as ‘my son’s wife’.
“My son was born with two teeth and his wife was also born with two teeth. His birth came with overwhelming blessings and his name should unite both Baganda and Basoga [tribes],” he said.
The boy’s teacher described him as a disciplined, social, soft-spoken boy who speaks like an elder.
“I think this is the Kintu our forefathers talked about (in ancestral history). This one advises me despite being his teacher,’’ she said.
The girl’s mother said her daughter has been a revelation since she was born.
“She started speaking immediately after birth! When I went into labour, I asked what baby it was and I was told it was a girl. However, the midwife stunned me when she said my baby had been born with two teeth and nearly dropped her,” the mother of seven said.
“My immediate fear was how to breastfeed a baby with teeth. I was, however, comforted by my sister-in-law who was with me at hospital.”
It is reported that it was not a normal wedding ceremony, as the ‘couple’ sat adjacent to two three-feet long snakes which elders said are meant to protect them.
The police in Uganda are investigating the incidence, which goes against the law of the land where marriage can only happen between people aged 18 and above.
“Any acts of marriage must be between people who are 18 years old and above. Below that, you cannot marry. We want to find out the real facts of what it is all about,” said Busoga North Regional police spokesperson, Mr Michael Kasadha.
