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{
    "id": 555876,
    "url": "https://info.mzalendo.com/api/v0.1/hansard/entries/555876/?format=api",
    "text_counter": 278,
    "type": "speech",
    "speaker_name": "Hon. (Ms.) Odhiambo-Mabona",
    "speaker_title": "",
    "speaker": {
        "id": 376,
        "legal_name": "Millie Grace Akoth Odhiambo Mabona",
        "slug": "millie-odhiambo-mabona"
    },
    "content": "Thank you very much, Hon. Temporary Deputy Speaker, for giving me the opportunity to contribute to this debate. Let me state at the outset that I support the Motion and thank the Mover for bringing it to the House. The passage of the Marriage Bill itself was a milestone in this country. For several years, those of us who have been in the women’s rights sector have worked towards the passage of such law. Even though the Motion indicates that the primary aim was to amalgamate the many marriage laws that existed then, that was not the only aim. It was almost coincidental as the main aim was to rationalise the sector in order for it to be responsive to emerging issues in the marriage institution. If you look at the Act, one of the things it now provides for is cohabitation and it also recognises customary marriages. One of the reasons that this was done was so that those who are married under customary law and those who live in cohabitation may have an easier way. While practising as a lawyer, the greater part of my practice, other than in human rights law, was in family law. One of the challenges that we faced was on the issue of customary law and cohabitation. I am sure the Hon. Temporary Deputy Speaker is very well aware, since he is a lawyer that in cohabitation, for you to prove that you are married, you had to bring neighbours, photographs and a whole manner of things in order to prove that you were cohabiting. In customary marriage, you had to bring elders, if you were a Kikuyu, to prove that ruracio and ngurario had been done; if you are a Luo ayie was given and a whole lot of other things. This process has been made easier. Even if you The electronic version of the Official Hansard Report is for information purposesonly. A certified version of this Report can be obtained from the Hansard Editor."
}