Some of the couples in Kamonyi District that have been cohabiting for a long period of time admit that being married by law reduces domestic violence and mistrust that are experienced by cohabiting couples.
Wilbrolidi Nyabyenda and Epiphanie Barikumwe is a couple that resides in Kigusa cell in Nyarubaka sector that had been cohabiting for 5 years. They say cohabitation made them distrust each other especially concerning the properties which usually led to disagreement and misunderstanding each other.
Wilbrolidi Nyabyenda and Epiphanie Barikumwe getting married
Nyabyenda says that even though he had lived with his wife for 5 years, there are her properties he never knew of their existence. For the wife she says her parents had advised her not to make her legacy known to a man who could not marry legally.
In the month meant for the good governance awareness that commenced on 22nd. Feb.2013, the Nyarubaka sector management with the support of the youth on Urugerero program sensitized cohabiting couples to tie the knot of which most of them did.
Nyabyenda’s family tied the knot on the 7th.March.2013 in the mass wedding. The couple says they are now going to work towards the development of their family without distrusting each other on anything.
According to Francois Sebagabo the executive secretary of Nyarubaka sector, about 400 couples that were cohabiting have tied the knot since 2009. Getting legally married is known to have change in the social relationship and economic development of these families.
Before the sector started sensitizing its residents on getting married by law, the sector was characterized by absolute poverty which is now different. Sebagabo says this was due to cohabiting couples not working towards a common goal of developing their families but instead distrusted each other.