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The Prime Minister (Katikkiro) of Buganda, Charles Peter Mayiga, has publicly criticised Pastor Joseph Serwadda of Victory Christian Centre for advocating for marriage between members of the same clan.
Mayiga expressed disappointment in the pastor's remarks during a sermon, which he found to be a shocking misinterpretation of cultural norms.
In Buganda, members of the same clan, regardless of their actual familial ties, are considered and referred to as brothers or sisters.
"I just heard a pastor saying that the bible doesn't prohibit marrying your sister. I was surprised by him because I used to respect him," Mayiga stated
"I wonder if he just got a lover from his clan. You know, that is how they do, and they start misinterpreting laws to justify their acts. In our tradition, you cannot marry a member of your clan."
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Charles Peter Mayiga
Pastor Serwadda's Controversial Stance
Pastor Serwadda's sermon, which has since gone viral, directly challenged established Buganda customs regarding marriage.
He stated, "You can marry your clanmate, unless you don’t love them. In Christ, this is no taboo."
The pastor argued that traditional laws and customs, including those pertaining to age differences, do not apply within the church.
"Therefore, totems, clans and lineages are none of your concern when marrying. The bible only prohibits marrying your sibling or your cousin. That is very clear."
Pastor Joseph Serwadda
Serwadda even cited the Parliament of Uganda's list of prohibited marriages, noting that "clanmates are not included."
In a particularly contentious point, he claimed that "smart born-again women are adopting non-clan names such as Mukisa, Kisakye, Kwagala and others, in case they meet a clan member that they love," implying a deliberate sidestepping of traditional identifiers to facilitate such unions.