BRIDE-PRICE: TO APPROVE OR DISAPPROVE?

Uganda has outlawed its rule on bride price refund. This poses a question to other African countries about the payment of bride price. Is it one of the African customs that should be wiped off? Will it be too much of western influence on Africans? Is it primitive or people just doing just understand about it.

Bride price in traditional African society was given as a sign that the bride know belongs to the groom’s family. It was also a somewhat compensation for the gap left in the girls family.

Today’s ways of paying brideprice are quite unique and sometimes displays greed of relatives due exaggeration. I once attended one ceremony of its kind and was surprised at the kind of discussion that was ongoing

The groom had to pay up for broken utensils, stained clothes and the fact that the girl was a graduate tripled the amount of money they had in mind.This was quite gluttonous .it was more of a conversation between a sales person and a customer than a father and his son in law.

The bride’s father would have won the argument were it not for grooms mother anger .she was very disappointed and rose in fury saying that the bride’s parents were practically selling there daughter. She further suggested that the money instead of being given to the bride’s family should be given to the couple to build there life. This was seen as a very logic suggestion by many and was agreed upon.