Kajo Keji County Commissioner went ahead with his proposed marriage to an underage P7 pupil on Saturday, despite of an order by the Central Equatoria Government stopping the wedding.
A local source told CRN via e-mail that Ben Yengi wedded a 16-year old girl on Saturday in Kajo Keji’s SPC or Sudan Pentecostal Church.The source added that “despite of the criticism of different organizations, Mr Yengi went on with the wedding”, attended by “government, civil servants and different church groups.”
On Friday, Central Equatoria State Child Welfare Director Martin Mogga told CRN that Mr Yengi’s planned wedding was stopped because it violated the Child Act.
He added that “the high authority has taken the responsibility and the state Governor was informed about the steps taken to stop the wedding ceremony.”
Our source said, one week prior to the wedding, Commissioner Yengi attended a gathering on the Constitutional Review Process in Kajo Keji and spoke extensively about child’s rights.
The Child Act condemns early marriage and the ban is to be implemented by top state and national authorities.