Ugandan President Yoweri Museveni, who has held office since 1986, said at an Inter-Religious Family Festival that mistreating a spouse by denying them sex (a practice known as kugunga) is a “very serious offense” in traditional, pre-colonial Ugandan society, comparable to public insults or failing to support one’s family. He said the offense should result in jail time, as it already does in Ghana. In the same speech, he also encouraged people to marry no later than 23, claiming young marriages are healthier and more stable. While marital rape remains forbidden in Ugandan law, the President’s remarks are consistent with his broader pro-natalist agenda and rejection of Western values. Museveni is well-known for his strong antagonism toward same-sex behavior and even oral sex (“The mouth is for eating, not for sex”), which he has claimed is pushed on Africans by foreigners and gives people worms.
Ugandan President: Denying Your Partner Sex is a Major Offense
