Select Committee expunges co-habitation bill

Parliamentary Select Committee on Gender has justified its reasons to expunge the co-habitation provisions from the property rights of the Spouses’ Bill.

The controversial provision was to empower cohabiting couples to access equal rights to property bequeathed by a spouse who died intestate.

The provision generated mixed reactions from Civil Society Organisations (CSOs), Parliament, public and religious societies.

Addressing a gender dialogue, the Chairman of the Select Committee on Gender in Parliament, Lardie Ayamba explained that culture and traditions of the country frowns on that provisions.

According to her, the cohabitation law was withdrawn after wide stakeholder consultation.

‘We do not want to create room for people to take chances, because WE HAVE observed that children as 12 years do things we don’t expect of them, imagine what would happen if we pass the law they can stay with them and say they are cohabitating,’ she explained.