Azande King wants high bride prices reduced in the Kingdom

The King of the Azande Kingdom Atoroba Peni Rikito urged the community leaders to reduce dowry payment to allow young people to get married.

He said the reduction in bride prices would allow young people to get married and increase the population in the Kingdom.

Addressing the traditional leaders at the Palace, King Atoroba directed the sub-chiefs, community, youth and women leaders to carry out an awareness campaign on the impacts of the high bride price on the communities.

He said the number of unmarried people is more compared to married ones in the current society.

“A lot of young women are single due to the high bride price required by their parents which is not suitable for their partners to afford,” Atoroba argued.

According to the King, there are girls who might reach the marriageable age but the cannot get suitors because of high bride price.

“The issue of abnormal demand of bride price will be brought to an end and promote the dowry system that will allow everyone across society to have a family,” he said.

“Let us support them by sending them to school and allow them to get married if their right time comes, and also make sure that they can support us back the parents.”

King Atoroba assured the communities that customary law for the kingdom would be drafted very soon.

Meanwhile, a group of traditional leaders welcomed the move saying that through the awareness, the community would understand the impact of the high bride price and reduce it.

The sub-chief of Ngindo Boma, Simon Mukonzi, pledged a campaign to enable young people to get married and have families.

Traditionally, the Azande community used to get married with hoes, pangas, spears and other traditional attires.