Muhoozi says Ugandans who marry nyashless women should be fined
Ugandan president Yoweri Museveni’s son, General Muhoozi Kainerugaba, has suggested that Ugandans who marry women he described as nyashless should be fined.
In a statement on Thursday, February 19, 2026, Muhoozi said that authorities should identify such women nationwide and proposed that any man who chooses to marry one should pay a penalty to the Uganda Revenue Authority (URA).
You might also like
This comes a few days after Muhoozi stated that women wearing red dresses on Valentine’s Day could face arrest in the future.
In a statement on Saturday, February 14, 2026, Muhoozi said he observed women walking around Kampala in red attire and suggested that such actions may be linked to suspected communists.
“I saw women walking around Kampala today in red dresses. In the future, we shall arrest them as suspected communists,” he wrote.
Valentine’s
The origins of Valentine’s Day can be traced back to ancient Rome.
One of the most widely accepted accounts connects the date to a Christian cleric known as Saint Valentine, who lived in the third century.
Historical records show that at least one priest named Valentine was executed in Rome on February 14 during the reign of Emperor Claudius II.
While details of his life vary in different sources, he was later recognised as a martyr by the early Church.
Over time, stories developed around his life. One tradition suggests that he supported couples who wished to marry during a period when marriage for young men was discouraged.
Another account states that he wrote a letter, signed “Your Valentine”, before his execution.
While historians caution that some of these details come from later legends rather than confirmed records, the association between his name and expressions of affection endured.
It is also important to understand the broader historical context of mid-February in ancient Rome.
The month was associated with purification and renewal. A Roman festival known as Lupercalia was held around February 15 and marked the coming of spring.
As Christianity spread across Europe, some existing seasonal observances gradually evolved or were replaced by Christian commemorations. Scholars note that this blending of traditions was common during that period.
By the Middle Ages, February 14 had become closely associated with romantic love, particularly in England and France.
This shift is often linked to Geoffrey Chaucer’s writings in the fourteenth century. In one of his poems, he associated Saint Valentine’s Day with birds choosing their mates.
At the time, people believed that birds began pairing in mid-February. Chaucer’s work helped popularise the idea that February 14 was a day for lovers.
The practice of exchanging written messages on Valentine’s Day grew steadily in Europe. By the seventeenth and eighteenth centuries, people were sending small handwritten notes or tokens of affection.
