You are not single unless registered by the government as one

While marriages in the country are registered and the marrieds are given a certificate that gazettes them as such, the Uganda Registrations and Services Bureau (URSB) also has a service that confirms people are single and not in any marriage

This news came as shocking to the Deputy Director of the Government Citizens Interaction Centre (GCIC) Duncan Abigaba who while meeting the URSB Registrar General Mercy Kainobwisho got the revelation that singles require a certificate to be called so.

“While meeting the Registrar General @Mercykains last week, she told us that one of the services offered by @URSBHQ is issuing a certificate of SINGLE STATUS. Ladies, before someone out there, steals your heart, demand for their SINGLE STATUS certificate. It's easy to get,” he tweeted.

Indeed, with many relationships finding a setback after would-be spouses find they are dating married people, it is important to look into the fact of validating if your partner is indeed single.

Nile Post contacted URSB for clarity on the matter. The Corporate Affairs Manager Denis Nabende indicated that such a document is very vital for anyone who intends to marry or get married.

“Oh, that letter is issued to those planning to get married usually outside Uganda to prove they have never been married before. We search the Marriage Register that we keep, we check whether the person is in a subsisting marriage or is married because we don't keep the divorce register except for Muslims, ” Nabende noted.

“In case one wants to get married here, they can come to us and do a marriage search to check whether their fiancé has ever been married,” he added.

A further check confirms that the distance between heartbreak and the marriage expenses is embedded in the cost of the letter which URSB has placed at only Shs25000.

For one to qualify for the letter after this payment, they need to be Ugandan, obtain a letter from their LC1 and attach a copy of their birth certificate as certified by NIRA.

One must also prove they are Ugandan by attaching their national ID or passport and that of their parent or guardian.

“Registered Statutory declarations of the applicant stating that he/she is single. Registered Statutory declarations of one of the applicant’s parents or guardian or nearest relative stating that the son/daughter is single and a null search report from the marriage registry,” are other requirements before obtaining the letter.