Bill No. 19 Marriage And Divorce Bill 2009 14. Marriage gifts not an essential requirement (1) Marriage gifts are not an essential requirement for any marriage under this Act. (2) Where a marriage gift has been given by a party to a marriage under this Act, it is an offence to demand the return of the marriage gift. (3) A person convicted of the offence under subsection (2) is liable to a fine not exceeding twenty four currency points or imprisonment not exceeding one year or both. PART III—REQUIREMENTS, PRELIMINARIES AND SOLEMNIZATION OF CIVIL MARRIAGES Requirements of a valid Civil Marriage 15. Minimum age for marriage A person shall not have the capacity to contract a civil marriage unless he or she has attained eighteen years of age. 16. Consent to marriage A civil marriage shall not be celebrated, solemnized or contracted in Uganda without the free consent of either party to the intended marriage. 17. Prohibited degrees of relationship A person shall not be a party to a civil marriage where the parties are within the prohibited degrees of relationship, whether natural, legal, or by clan as set out in the Second Schedule to this Act. 18. Same sex marriage prohibited Marriage between persons of the same sex is prohibited. 17