By Timothy Okurut
Every year, thousands of young people graduate from universities across Uganda. We are told we have crossed the finish line, but the moment the celebration ends, a cold reality sets in, we are standing barefooted at the edge of adulthood, expected to leap into milestones we simply cannot afford. Chief among these expectations is marriage, a sacred step that has increasingly been priced out of reach for the average young man.
For many Ugandans, the entry-level salary for the fortunate few who secure employment, ranges between UGX 500,000 and UGX 1,000,000 per month. After paying for rent, transport, and basic daily needs, a graduate is left with mere pennies. Yet, when a young man decides to settle down and marry the woman he loves, society presents him with a financial ledger that defies logic.
The traditionally symbolic gestures of the kwanjula, (introduction) and dowry have transformed into high stakes, multi million shilling commercial productions. Bride price requirements now read like corporate acquisition demands: high-end electronics, commercial vehicles, herds of cattle, and millions of shillings in cash envelopes. For a young man earning a modest salary, meeting these demands requires a lot of financial sacrifice.
To satisfy the in-laws and preserve their respect in the public, young men are forced into getting huge loans from banks or predatory money lenders, and living with crushing personal debt. The tragedy is that the marriage begins not with financial security, but with severe economic stress. Instead of laying a foundation to build wealth, the newly formed family starts its journey in a financial deficit. This initial debt trap frequently triggers a vicious cycle of poverty, draining household resources for years and leaving the couple unable to invest in land, savings, or their future children’s education.
This financial friction places immense psychological strain on young relationships, and the fallout is many times devastating. The irony is that society will lament these fallouts and wonder why failed marriages and prolonged singlehood is on the rise, yet ignore the financial extortion that sets these unions up to fail from day one. The truth is, high wedding and brideprice expenditures have never guaranteed the longevity or peace of a home.
In a recent customary wedding attended by the President, H.E President Yoweri Kaguta Museveni in Kiruhura District, he called out parents against placing exorbitant bride price costs on young men. “Parents, why are you selling children, why do you have to get wealth through children?” he asked. Those were pertinent questions.
It is time for parents, elders, and society at large to tone down the escalating financial demands placed on young men. Customs and traditions were meant to unite families, not to serve as an entry fee that bankrupts the groom. If we truly want to see the next generation build stable, thriving families, parents must rethink the kind of functions and events they want their children to have. There is no problem with having memorable introduction ceremonies and beautiful weddings. After all, these are meant to be once-in-a-lifetime events. Anyone would want them to be memorable. But they must not be done at a huge financial cost to the couple and end up being the start of what might become a difficult union.
Easing the burden of bride price is no longer just a cultural debate, it is an economic necessity to give young families a fighting chance.
