Naomba kurudi kwenye sheria ya ndoa tena, maana ni muhimu sana hapa, na nitasema kwa nini.
LAW OF MARRIAGE ACT, 1971
Restrictions on Marriage: Part II (b) Section 13 (1) and 17 (1), (2)
Minimum Age
No person shall marry who, being male, has not attained the apparent age of eighteen years or, being female, has not attained the apparent age of fifteen years.
A female who has not attained the apparent age of eighteen years shall be required, before marrying, to obtain the consent:
(a) of her father; or
(b) if her father is dead, of he mother; or
(c) if both her father and mother are dead, of the person who is her guardian, but in any other case, or if all those persons are dead, shall not require consent.
(2) Where the court is satisfied that the consent of any person to a proposed marriage is being withheld unreasonably or that it is impracticable to obtain such consent, the court may, on application,
give consent and such consent shall have the same effect as if it had been given by the person whose consent is required by subsection (1).
Ninachotaka kusema ni kuwa, sidhani kuna atakaepinga kwamba uamuzi wa kuolewa ni mzito na wenye madhara (matokeao, consequences, implications) makubwa mara mia zaidi ya uamuzi wa kujamiwa kwa siku moja na chekibobu mpita njia.
Sasa, sheria hii ya ndoa inaruhusu msichana wa miaka 15 kijiamulia kuolewa na hivyo kuanza kujamiwa. Inahitaji idhini ya mzazi lakini sio lazima wakati wote upate idhini. Tena, hata baba akikatalia hiyo idhini ahakikishe ametoa sababu za maana, maana msichana anaweza kupinga akijisikia baba anamzibia tu. Kisheria baba hawezi kukataa kwa maamuzi yake tu, yaani objective standard.
Kwa hiyo, iwe chimbuko lake ni mila, au iwe ni desturi, au ni falsafa za Kiafrika, sheria ya ndoa inamchukulia msichana wa miaka 15 kwamba amekomaa!
Utaambiwaje kwamba tunatambua kwamba chini ya miaka 18 wewe ni mtoto na huwezi kufanya maamuzi ya kujamiwa kwa siku moja lakini unaweza kuolewa na miaka 15, ukalalwa usiku kucha, au kutwa kucha, kila siku, na kuzalishwa, na kufanyishwa kazi.
Huku unasoma?